Reversed Psychologies
by mindless creations
Summary: What would force Gibbs to use a code word he hadn't used in over seven years? And why is it so urgent that the Director meet him at Bethesda Naval Hospital? A bizarre chain of events will see Tony and Ziva's lives spiralling backwards. De-Age fic. AU No pairings although slight Jibbs if you squint. Team as family. Please see Chapter 1 for warnings and disclaimers.
1. The call out

**Warnings, notes and Disclaimers**

**1\. This is a de-aging fic. If you don't like, don't read!**

**2\. Set towards the end of Season 4 although the La Grenouille/Jeanne Benoit and Hollis Mann storylines do not exist**

**3\. I do not own any of the characters - I just like to play with and torture them**

**4\. While definitely not the focus, this story does contain the discussion of and occasional spanking of minors. Again, don't like, don't read.**

**5\. This is my first fan fic - so please be patient with formatting and spacing while I get my head around what needs to be done.**

**6\. All mistakes are my own - apologies ahead of time**

Chapter 1 - The Call Out.

Jenny sighed as she put the folder on her desk and leaned back in her chair. Taking off her glasses she rubbed absentmindedly at her eyes before replacing her glasses and straightening up ready to continue reading. She really didn't know what was worse. Writing reports or having to read the damn things.

She'd just managed to finish the third page when her cell beeped signalling a message. Reaching over the neatly stacked files, she grabbed her phone hoping the message may be a distraction to her current mundane task. She certainly wasn't prepared for what she saw next. Printed boldly on the screen were three words; **Gibbs Bethesda Dove**. A cold shiver raced down her spine. Dove? She hadn't seen or used that word in this context for well over seven years. She hadn't however, forgotten its significance.

When she and Gibbs had worked together, Dove had been their own personal duress word. A word used only in an emergency, a word which meant 'I need you now'. It wasn't a work code, or something they had used undercover. It was personal. Just between the two of them. If Gibbs was using this word now, something very serious had happened and he wasn't calling her as the Director of NCIS or even as a former agent, but rather as his friend.

Grabbing her purse, keys and cell, Jenny left her office. After giving Cynthia some garbled message about forgotten appointments and being out of the office for the afternoon she headed to the car park, her mind racing and her heart thumping. What on earth could have happened?

Entering the E.R. Jenny scanned the crowd for a familiar face.

"McGee!" Heading over to where Tim stood, Jenny couldn't help but notice the paleness of his skin, the shocked, glazed look in his eyes. This wasn't good.

"Where's Gibbs?" she asked

"Director? Um…how…did….?" Tim stammered. Obviously Jenny was the last person he had expected to see.

"Where's Gibbs!" a little more forceful this time. She didn't have the time or the patience to deal with uncertainties.

"Jen" An all too familiar voice called out to her. Turning she saw his face. What was it? Fear? Confusion? Shock? Well at least he was standing and didn't seem to be injured.

Leaving Tim, she made her way over to him.

"Dove?" she questioned.

Their eyes locked, an all too familiar look that only passes between lovers. A look that asks everything and yet says it all. Gibbs broke away first. Turning, he headed through the door on his left and down the corridor. He didn't need to look back. He knew she would be following. Finding an empty room, he held open the door for her to pass through. Closing the door behind him, he sighed deeply.

"Jethro, you're scaring me. What's going on? We haven't used that word since Paris. I…"

"Jen," he cut her off. "Listen to me. Something happened today out in the field. Something I have no explanation for. I didn't call you here as the Director. I don't want you here as the Director, not until we know more about what's going on. Can you promise me that you can separate yourself from this? Be here only as Jenny Shepherd, no titles?

"I…but…what…?"Seeing the look in his eyes, she mentally pulled herself up and said more determinedly.

"Yes, yes of course. So, what happened?"

Before speaking, Gibbs looked down at her. He had to trust her on this, he had no choice. "Okay" was all he said.

Looking around the room for the first time since entering, he spotted two chairs. Taking hold of them, he brought them over to where they had been standing. Taking a seat, he indicated that Jenny do the same.

"As you already know, we were working on the Bradshaw case. We knew Trentwood was the killer. McGee had an address and we were checking it out. It was a rural property. When we arrived, DiNozzo and Ziva went around the back, McGee and I took the front. On my signal we entered the house. McGee and I were making our way up the hall when we heard DiNozzo shout. Shots were fired. When I got to the room, the suspect was down. Dead. DiNozzo and Ziva were also down. It appeared they'd been shot with some sort of dart which they were both removing by the time McGee and I arrived. They appeared fine but I wanted Ducky to check them out as soon as he arrived. I told them to sit and wait. McGee and I started preliminaries."

Jenny listened intently to his short, clipped sentences. Never one to use more words than necessary, she could always count on Gibbs to get to the point.

"Ducky arrived about 20 mins later and checked them both. Again, they appeared fine although both were now complaining of headaches and nausea. Ducky wanted them brought here for a full examination. The darts were bagged, body was loaded and they left with Ducky. Once McGee and I had finished at the scene, we took the evidence to Abby and then headed over here." Gibbs paused. Jenny's focus had not shifted. Her green eyes remained fixed on his blue.

"And?" she prompted.

Gibbs sighed deeply as he rubbed his hand across his face and rested it over his mouth, never once taking his eyes away from hers. Fear leapt at Jenny. In all the years she had known him, she had never seen this much hesitation. Were Ziva and Tony dead? Was that what he was trying to convey? No, he would have come straight out with that. Gibbs was not one to shy away from reality. So what was it? Obviously something so out of the ordinary that he was completely lost for words.

Taking a deep breath, Gibbs continued.

"By the time Tim and I got back here, there had been a..." he searched for the word. "…a change in their conditions." Again he paused.

"What sort of change?" This was definitely unfamiliar territory.

"A… physical change. Oh Geez, I hear myself forming the words but I can't believe what I'm saying. It's ridiculous."

Gathering resolve he continued.

"It would appear that when they were hit with the darts, they were injected with some sort of serum. I don't understand how or why but neither of them are the same people they were 4 hours ago."

Gibbs knew he was making things worse, but how on earth could he explain what he had just seen. That was it. He couldn't explain. Jenny had to see this for herself.

"Come with me," was all he said as he got up and left the room.

Knowing there was no point in arguing, Jenny followed. The return of his usual abruptness was actually reassuring. This was familiar. This she could cope with. Gibbs led her through another door and into a similar corridor. Without speaking he stopped in front of a closed door. Looking at her, he placed his fingers on the handle and opened the door.

Jenny stepped in. Sitting on the single bed were two teenagers. The girl, who appeared to be around 14 or 15, was sitting cross legged. Her dark hair fell in a mass of curls around her face and shoulders. But there was no mistaking those soft, brown eyes. Although, Jenny had to admit, the fear she could see in those eyes was definitely unfamiliar.

"Ziva?" she whispered.

The figure next to her moved slightly, forcing Jenny to shift her gaze. Like his companion, this young man was also very familiar, late teens, thick dark hair and green eyes. With a smirk that could only belong to one person, Tony DiNozzo proclaimed "Hey Honey, looks like someone shrunk the kids!"

_-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-_

Not taking her eyes off the two teenagers on the bed, Jenny reached for the nearby chair and practically fell into it. This had to be a joke. Didn't it?

"Director, are you ok?" Her eyes shifted to find McGee's. She hadn't even noticed he was in the room until now. His look of concern forced a laugh from her and sarcastically she replied. "Sure McGee, I'm just peachy!"

Finding Gibbs' face she asked "Is this for real?"

"Yup"

Silence.

Looking to the room in general Jenny asked, "Ok, so what do we know."

"Not a lot" replied Gibbs. "Whatever these two were hit with it seems to be some sort of de-aging serum. Abby's working on it now. All I know is four hours ago, these two," he nodded towards Tony and Ziva, "were adult NCIS agents. Somehow, during that past 4 hours, it would appear that they have 'lost' about 15 years."

"Pretty amazing huh?" piped up Tony from the bed

"Not the word I was thinking, DiNozzo" replied Jenny.

"Come on Director, Ya gotta give the guy some credit. I mean this stuff is pretty incredible. It'd be worth millions! The guy was a genius!" Seeing the incredulous look on Jenny's face he added, "If ya looked past the fact that he was a psychopathic killer of course. But, I reckon, once we find out what the stuff is, and how it's used, we could develop it. Women would pay a fortune for this. Ya know, take a year or two off here and there…"

"Shut up Tony," Ziva spoke for the first time. "Do you not see what has happened? What is still happening? This is not some miracle cure to old age. Look at us!" Fear was escalating in her voice. "We're getting younger by the hour. What if this doesn't stop?"

"I _know_ Ziva," Tony replied quietly.

This was so typical of DiNozzo Jenny thought. If you can't face reality, use humour to deflect it. Suddenly what Ziva had said penetrated her thought process.

"What do you mean 'is still happening'?" she asked looking at the young girl in front of her.

It was Gibbs who answered. "That's just it. We don't know. From what these two have told me, they seemed to lose years quite rapidly at first, but in the last hour or so, it's slowed down. The problem is, we don't know if it's finished."

Right on cue, Ziva clutched at her stomach and grimaced. Her face etched with pain, she balled up and collapsed on the bed writhing silently. Gibbs rushed to her. But even as he reached out his hand to offer comfort, Tony did the same thing. Both agents were now curled up in the foetal position, rocking in agony.

"What's happening?" asked Jenny fearfully.

"They're losing years," Gibbs replied matter-of-factly. "This is how it happens"

Standing dumbstruck, Jenny and McGee watched as, slowly, both Tony and Ziva seemed to regain control again. Panting slightly, they cautiously sat up. Looking at them closely, nothing seemed to have changed although…was that a zit on Tony's forehead and yes, Ziva's hair was slightly shorter.

"This is really happening," Jenny said, more to herself than anyone in the room.

"Right!" Gibbs' sudden abruptness brought them all back to reality. "I don't want these two becoming some medical freak show. We have no idea what has happened here but one thing I do know, Abby is the only one I trust to figure out what the hell these two were injected with. I want them outta here. The last doctor that came in was about 45 minutes ago. With some make up we could still pass these two off as young adults. Ziva," he barked, "tie your hair back. And DiNozzo?" he paused looking at young man before him. "Try to pretend you're an adult."

"Hey!" interjected Tony indignantly.

"I'm finding a doctor that will sign these two out." And, with that, Gibbs was gone leaving a ringing silence in his wake.

Gibbs never really knew how they'd managed to pull it off, but within 20 minutes, he had Ziva and Tony in the backseat of his car and was heading home. He'd called Abby to let her know what was happening and to tell her to be at his place at 1800 sharp for a team meeting. Ducky would be there too. Jenny, of course, was following behind him, with McGee sitting stunned in the passenger seat.

Gibbs had to admit, he really had no idea how Jenny would react to all this. He'd hesitated before using the word 'dove'. Did he still have the right? Or had he lost that right the minute she walked out of his life seven years ago. But she had responded immediately to his call. He had to give her credit. He wasn't sure he would have reacted so calmly to what had transpired over the last hour or so. Hell, he'd be blaming the bourbon and calling everyone crazy. A part of him still was! But, it had happened, was still happening and he was at a total loss as to what to do next. Had he done the right thing leaving the hospital? Yes, of that he was certain. Who knows what the medical staff would have done. Probably put the pair of them in a sterile room and banned all contact with the public. That was not going to happen. For better or worse he was going to make damn sure he was with them to see this through. And Abby? Geez, she could work miracles. If there was one person who'd be able to figure this out and fix it, it was Abs. He hated to think how many Caff-Pows it'd take though!

He was suddenly startled from his musings by a low moan and gasp from the back seat. Looking through the review mirror, he saw both Tony and Ziva huddled over, clutching their stomachs.

"Ya want me to stop?" he called from the front seat still watching the pair closely. Although no answer was given, both managed to shake their heads. Gibbs planted his foot on the gas in response.

Finally pulling into his driveway, he shut off the engine and turned to look at the two sitting in the back seat. That last 'episode' had certainly made a difference. He noted, with shocked realisation, that he'd only just whisked them out of the hospital in time. There was no way he could have passed them off as young adults now. The make-up that had been applied to Ziva's face, now made her look more like a little girl trying out mommy's supplies. Her face was rounder and plumper, the childlike softness unmistakeable. Her clothes weren't sitting too well either. Pre-pubescent Ziva, was going to need a change of outfit and soon. Tony hadn't fared much better. Gone was the toned physique, only to be replaced with gangly limbs and a spotty face.

Looking at her companion, Ziva couldn't help but giggle.

"What are you laughing at shrimp?" Tony retorted. "I don't think you'll be needing the Victoria Secret catalogue for quite some time"

Glaring at him, Ziva raised her fist in response.

"Hey!" called Gibbs, "Cut it out"

They both slumped back in their seats, looking every bit their new ages. Gibbs stared at the two of them. If this wasn't so frightening it could almost be comical. But reality hit him once again. They had just experienced another transformation. How many were they going to endure? And what happened if they ran out of years?

"Come on you two, let's get inside".

Watching the pair of them exit the car, Gibbs couldn't help but repress a smirk as both Ziva and Tony clung to various parts of their clothing to preserve what dignity they had left. He followed them into the house and told them both to wait on the couch. Taking the stairs two at a time, Gibbs went into his bedroom to find something the pair of them could wear for now. Not knowing how young they were going to become, there was really no point in buying any clothes for them. Grabbing two T-Shirts he headed back down the stairs.

"Here," he said tossing the shirts to the two sitting awkwardly on the couch. "Put these on. Both of you pass me your belts. I'll go and put some extra holes in them."

Heading down to the basement, it didn't take long to knock a couple of extra notches into the leather. By the time Gibbs had returned to the lounge both Ziva and Tony had replaced their clothes with the T-shirts he had given them. Now looking only about ten years old, Ziva had dispersed with the jeans she had been wearing. Even with the adjusted belt, the material would bunch uncomfortably around her waist. Besides, the shirt fitted her like a dress. She wrapped the belt around herself, fastening it as best she could. Gibbs smiled as he watched her thread the overhang all the way around her waist again. Tony, now looking about fifteen, was not giving up his pants that easily. Despite having lost height and muscle tone, he was happy to put up with the bunching around his middle as he too threaded the belt and made use of the extra holes. The t-shirt wasn't a bad fit. Although it hung loosely off his shoulders, the length was still reasonably acceptable.

Just as the two of them were settling on the couch again, the front door opened and in walked Jenny and McGee. Neither one could hide their shock when they saw the changes in Tony and Ziva.

"Wow!" said Tim, "that last transformation was drastic. How old do you think they are?"

"Well seeing as they seem to be losing a year or two every hour, I'd say Ziva's about 10 and DiNozzo's about 15, " Gibbs replied.

"But Boss," continued Tim without thinking, "if they're losing a year every hour by tomorrow morning they could…"

"McGee!" barked Gibbs, silencing the agent with both his voice and the infamous Gibbs' glare.

The silence was broken by a sob. All eyes turned to Ziva. Tears streamed down her face and, as she felt everyone's eyes on her, she couldn't contain herself any longer. Ziva erupted into heavy sobs.

"Oh Sweetie" cooed Jenny as she rushed to the couch. She put her arms around Ziva and was surprised when the girl did not pull back but rather nestled into her chest, covering her face with her hands.

Tony stared at Ziva. Was the normally self-composed, 'show-no-weakness' Mossad Officer actually crying? Despite everything that had happened that day, despite the shooting, the darts, the painful transformations, the uncertainty, the unknowing, it was this one action from Ziva that frightened Tony most of all. Suddenly he too felt a prickling behind his eyes and blinked angrily at the unshed tears. He was not going to cry, damn it! Regardless of how his body may look, less than five hours ago he'd been a competent 33 year old NCIS agent. But, like Ziva, Tim's unfinished sentence had evoked a fear that had lain dormant for over 4 hours. What would happen if the transformations didn't stop?

**Please review - thanks.**

**I know it's the old 'serum in the dart' scenario but seriously, it's the only thing that really makes sense for this kind of storyline. **


	2. Make it stop

**Thank you so much for all your follows, favourites and, especially, your wonderful reviews. They mean so much.**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 2 - Make it stop

Gibbs' phone rang, making everyone jump. For the last two minutes they had all succumbed to their own, silent thought processes as Ziva's hiccupping sobs filled the room. Clearing his throat, Gibbs looked at the caller ID and answered

"Hey Abs. What ya got?"

"Gibbs, how are they? How's Tony, how's Ziva?" Abby's voice was tilted in panic. Not one for quiet communication at the best of times, when faced with her 'family' in some sort of danger, Abby was impossible to calm.

"They're fine Abs, what ya got?" Gibbs repeated.

"They're fine!" she shouted. "They're fine! There's no way in hell they're fine Gibbs! How can they be fine? I know I…"

"Abby!" Gibbs cut off her rambling which was steadily growing out of control. "I need you to focus," he said, far more calmly than he felt. "I need you to calm down and tell me what you've found. OK?"

He heard Abby take a deep breath. "Yes Gibbs. Sorry, it's just that I'm so worried about them."

"I know Abs, so am I. So," he exhaled, "What can you tell me"

"Nothing good Gibbs. This guy had mad skills. That journal you found? Well, from reading that, he'd been working on this for years. Figuring out what dose was needed to regress someone two years or twenty years. He'd mainly experimented on rats and mice. From what I can gather, he started using the serum on people about 6 months ago. Petty Officer Bradshaw was his third victim. In a 24 hour period he'd managed to transform her from a 23 year old woman to, well..." Here she paused. This wasn't easy to say.

"Go on Abs", Gibbs encouraged.

"To… well… less than a baby. Gibbs, he took them right back to the foetal stage. No one can survive that. Once their lungs became too underdeveloped to sustain life, they…they died." Abby's voice was barely a whisper. "That's why you couldn't find her body, Gibbs. There was barely a body left. He has them buried near the dam on the property. There should be three of them, one male and two females."

There was a long pause before Gibbs spoke, "That's good work Abs"

"No it's not Gibbs! I've only been able to figure out how it works. I have no idea how to stop it. I don't know if it even can be stopped! I don't know how much serum was in the darts, I don't know how far Tony and Ziva will regress! Gibbs, I don't know anything!" Abby was, by now, back in full panic mode.

"It's ok Abs," Gibbs soothed. "You've done all you can. As for the rest of it? Well, none of us have control over that. We'll just have to ride it out and see what happens. I'm sending McGee to come and get you and bring you back here."

"But Gibbs, I might be able to find out…"

He cut her off. "Not a suggestion Abs. You need to be here." And, with a flip of the phone, the conversation was ended. Decision made.

Heading back into the living room Gibbs looked around. Finding Tim's eyes, he nodded towards the door. Knowing Tim had overheard the conversation with Abby, he didn't need to say anything else.

"I'll be as quick as I can Boss," Tim said as he got up to leave.

"McGee!" Gibbs called as Tim was opening the door

"Yeah Boss?"

"You'll need these" Gibbs tossed the car keys to Tim who caught them easily.

"Um, yeah, thanks."

Once Tim had left, Gibbs turned to look at the three people sitting on the couch. Ziva had stopped crying, but her puffy, red eyes and oversized shirt made her look even younger than her current 10 years. Tony too was looking much younger than he appeared. His face was pale, his green eyes large and questioning. They were both looking at him as if he had all the answers.

It was Jenny who broke the silence. "So, what did Abby have to say?"

Shifting his gaze back to Ziva and Tony, he hesitated before answering.

"Tell us Gibbs" said Ziva. "I for one, need to know what is happening and…what may happen."

"Me too, Boss," echoed Tony.

Taking a seat on the nearby arm chair, Gibbs sighed and then quietly and calmly told them what Abby had discovered in Trentwood's journal.

"Well," said Tony regaining a false sense of bravado. "If it comes to diaper changing, I'm afraid I'm gonna be nominating you Boss. I don't want McNanny McGee anywhere near me!"

"Ahh DiNozzo" said Gibbs shaking his head, "Trust me, if it should come to that then…."

But his next words we cut off as both Tony and Ziva were gripped in another painful attack. Gibbs noticed that the more attacks these two had, the less stoic they were becoming. Ziva was now openly crying as Jenny held her and rocked her gently.

"Geez Boss," groaned Tony. "I don't think I can take much more of this. Make it stop!"

Going to Tony and putting his arm around the boy's shoulders, Gibbs too was surprised at how willingly he boy leaned into the embrace.

"Tony," he whispered gently. "If I could, trust me, I would."

Just as it had previously, the attack didn't last long. However, now that both Tony and Ziva had reached ages of great developmental growth, the changes that were taking place were far more obvious than they had been. Gibbs was sure Tony has shrunk at least 3 inches, and Ziva was rapidly disappearing into her shirt.

"That was a bad one," squeaked Tony. His eyes widened in shock. Where had that voice come from? No longer deep and even, Tony's voice had taken on a thin, strained sound.

"Oh no," was all he could muster. This was bad enough the first time round.

He looked cautiously over towards Ziva. She was a good five years younger than he was. What if they had another seven or eight hours of this? He might end up as a diaper clad toddler, but at least he would still be alive. Ziva didn't have many more years to lose. Fear and panic started to rear again in his stomach. What if they had another twelve hours of this? This was crazy. It had to be a dream or some crazy movie plot. This sort of thing didn't happen. With a sudden rush of adrenalin, he pushed himself up from the couch and away from Gibbs.

"I gotta go for a walk Boss," he stated. "I can't stand just sitting here, I'm gonna go crazy."

'Yeah good luck with that DiNozzo," Gibbs was smirking now. "You might wanna lose the pants before you end up on your ass"

Tony looked down and sure enough, his pants, along with his adjusted belt, were puddled around his ankles. Luckily the shirt now hung halfway down his thighs.

"Oh well, I guess I won't be needing these any more." He stepped easily out of the puddle of material and turned back to pick them up. Dumping them with his and Ziva's other clothes, he faced Gibbs again.

"Don't suppose you have anything smaller, Boss?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Once you and Ziva have finished with these attacks, and yes, you will finish," Gibbs continued cutting Tony off before he could argue, "we'll get you some clothes that fit. No point at the moment DiNozzo, you'll just outgrow them."

"Don't think 'outgrow' is the correct word here Boss, but yeah, I see your point." Tony paced the room a couple of times and then flopped again into the nearest arm chair.

"Well seeing as a walk is out of the question, how about some food? I haven't eaten since breakfast. Even junior Tony needs fuel for the tank." Tony slapped his stomach to make his point. "Wow," he said looking down at his pint sized body. "This feels weird."

Gibbs stood up and flipped opened his cell. "I'll get McGee and Abby to pick up some pizzas on their way here."

"And some beer!" added Tony sitting up in the chair.

"I don't think so DiNozzo!" answered Gibbs.

"Oh man, this is really gonna suck." grumbled Tony as he fell back into the seat.

Gibbs couldn't help but smirk to himself as he pressed for Tim's number.

-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-

Thirty minutes later, as Tim and Abby were struggling through the front door trying to carry pizzas and drinks, Tony and Ziva were gripped in the worst attack they had experienced so far. Both children had fallen to the floor and were writhing frantically, crying with the pain.

"Please make it stop," gasped Ziva.

"Boss, I'm gonna be sick," stammered Tony. Gibbs grabbed the first suitable thing he could find which turned out to be a waste paper bin and shoved it under Tony's chin. Despite the violent retching and heaving, there was nothing in Tony's stomach to bring up.

Seeing Ziva's colour turn to green, Jenny ran to the kitchen and grabbed a bucket from under the sink. It wasn't long before Ziva was following Tony's lead. Both children were coughing and spluttering, gasping for air that couldn't fill their lungs quick enough.

"Oh my God!" cried Abby as she and Tim stood helplessly in the doorway watching the scene before them. Finally breaking out of his horrified trance, Tim steered Abby to the kitchen and they both dumped the food and drinks on the table before returning to the living room to see if there was anything they could do. But nothing had prepared them for this.

'I'm calling Ducky" Tim announced to no-one in particular and left the room to make the call.

"What can I do?" asked Abby tearfully.

"Grab some towels or blankets Abby. Anything you can find that we can wrap around these two," Jenny called above the chaos of the scene.

Abby turned and ran up the stairs. She had never felt so frightened in all her life. And oh so helpless. She was Awesome Abby, the forensic dynamo who could solve anything. And yet, here she was with all her skills and knowledge grabbing bath towels and blankets. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Hearing Ziva's cries escalate, she raced down the stairs, towels and blankets clutched in her arms.

Tim entered the room again. "Ducky was already on his way. He'll be here in three."

Jenny grabbed one of the blankets from Abby and wrapped it around Ziva's shaking body. Although the heaving had stopped, she was shivering so violently, Jenny was afraid she would knock out her teeth. Picking her up, she cradled Ziva's tiny body close to her chest and rocked back and forth mumbling words of comfort while stroking the little girl's hair away from her damp, sweating face. As her breathing calmed and her tiny body warmed up, Ziva began to relax. Her eyes closed and before long she had fallen into a deep, exhausted sleep. Looking over to Gibbs, Jenny noticed that Tony, also wrapped in a woollen blanket and cradled in Gibbs arms, had done the same. She couldn't help but note how small Tony looked in Gibbs arms. This attack has robbed them both of more than just one year. Ziva couldn't be more than five at the most, and Tony was definitely pre-pubescent. Why had the rules suddenly changed? Why had they lost more time? Was this the way things were going to continue? She knew neither child would last long if this kept up.

The front door opened again and Ducky stepped in. Kneeling down beside Gibbs he felt Tony's forehead.

"What on earth happened, Jethro?" Gazing down on Tony's small frame he exclaimed, "Good Lord, how old is he?"

"About ten, I reckon" Gibbs replied.

"Ziva's around five" added Jenny, cradling the sleeping girl. "This last attack was much worse than any of the others, Ducky. They both started vomiting and fitting and the pain seemed far more intense. They've also lost more years. Previously they've regressed only one to two years, but they seemed to have lost three or four in this attack." Jenny paused and looked pleadingly at the Doctor she trusted with her life. "Ducky, they can't take much more than this. We've got to do something. Please help them."

"My Dear, there's nothing I can do," he answered helplessly.

"Hang on!" exclaimed Abby. The sudden lift to her voice had all adult eyes focused on her. So wrapped up in their own emergencies they had forgotten about anyone else in the room. But looking up, Abby was pacing the floor, brow furrowed in concentration, towels still clutched in her arms. "I read something about this in his journal. Wait, I brought it with me," she dropped the remaining towels on the floor and raced into the kitchen. Rummaging through her bag, she pulled out a tattered black book whose pages were torn and frayed. "It was here somewhere…yes! Here it is. Yes! Yes!" She jumped joyfully, pigtails bouncing around her shoulders.

"Abby!" called Gibbs. "What is it?"

"What is it?" Abby repeated. "It's gonna be ok, that's what it is! I knew they wouldn't die, I just knew it would be ok!"

"ABBY!" Four voices shouted.

Tim took hold of her shoulders and stared purposefully into her eyes willing her to calm down. "What do you know?" He spoke slowly annunciating each word carefully.

She pulled away and spoke to the group. The smile on her face was reflected in the sparkle of her eyes. "Trentwood wrote that he knew when the serum has reached its final stage because the last transformation was more intense, the effects were greater. and the subject would fall into a deep sleep. He wrote that he had succeeded in knowing exactly how much to give the mice and rats because he had discovered the point at which that final stage occurred. He hadn't reached that in the human tests he had done. He was obviously giving them too much because they continued the less intense transformations, gradually regressing until they were infants and then, in the case of the two women, beyond infancy. I guess he was trying to work out the dose needed to calculate exactly how much was needed compared to height and weight ratio but hadn't worked it out yet. And the women being smaller than the man would have reached infancy so much quicker. When you think about it though, he really should have known that such large doses would have made it so much harder to record. Now if it had been me, I would have started off…"

"Abby" Gibbs barked, "The point, please"

"The 'point' Gibbs, is that Tony and Ziva are going to be fine. They have just experienced that final stage. That's it! Finito! They're done. What ya see is what ya get! No more transformations." Abby smiled triumphantly.

"Well, that's great Abs. But what we see and what we've got are a five year old and a ten year old. What happens now?"

"That I don't know Gibbs," Abby replied, "But, I shall find out. If it's the last thing I do, I will get this sorted!"


	3. Making the best of things

**Author's Note**

**Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews, favourites and follows. It seriously means a lot! **

**There is a reason I have chosen these specific ages for Tony and Ziva which hopefully will become apparent as the story progresses. (Providing I don't get sidetracked with fluff!)**

**My background and life experiences are influenced by English and Australian culture and language. As this show is set in the USA I have tried to use words and phrases that are indicative to that country. However, I may occasionally slip up or not realise that the word/phrase is different. I apologise and hope that it will still make sense. If you are unsure of anything, please ask.**

Chapter 3 - Making the Best of Things

As the warmth of the late evening sun gradually ebbed from the room, five adults found themselves sitting silently in a dazed mixture of shock and exhaustion. The last eight hours had changed their lives in a way no one could have ever imagined. The only positive aspect to come from this otherwise depressing scene was the knowledge that, in the last ninety minutes, neither Tony nor Ziva had stirred from their blissful slumber and had remained unequivocally unchanged. That, in itself, brought some relief to the tension in the room.

Surprisingly it was Tim who broke the tangible silence. Shifting slightly in his chair, he raised himself and gathered together the picked over pizza boxes that were strewn across the coffee table. Taking her cue from McGee, Abby also moved and, wordlessly helped clear away the glasses and napkins. Heading into the kitchen, she set the glasses on the bench and turned on the coffee machine leaning her body against the counter and staring blankly into the space in front of her. She was pulled from her reverie when she noticed Tim staring at her expectantly. "What Timmy?" she asked annoyed at his blatant staring.

"I said, tough day hey" he repeated. He'd never seen Abby looking so shell-shocked.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Worse for Ziva and Tony though." She placed her hands behind her on the bench and hoisted herself into a sitting position. "I mean, how do you deal with something like this? Like, I'm really pleased that the regressions have stopped but Gibbs is right, what do we do next? We've been left with a five and a ten year old. Can you imagine suddenly being ten years old again Tim?"

"Or worse, being five," Tim added.

"Exactly! Ugh! Poor Tony and Ziva." Suddenly Abby jumped down from the bench. "I should be at work Timmy. What am I doing here, I'm wasting precious time. I should be in my lab trying to figure out what that sicko used to make the serum and whether or not there's a cure."

"No Abs," a firm voice resonated from the doorway. "You are right where you need to be."

"But Gibbs…"

"No Abby," repeated Gibbs. "Tonight is family. This day has been tough on all of us not just Tony and Ziva. We all need to rest, to talk about what we're gonna do next. Once that's sorted, then you can figure out what that bastard was using."

"So what _are_ we going to do next, Jethro?" asked Jenny as she slipped into the kitchen and began taking mugs down from one of the cupboards.

"Coffee, then we hit the rack. Tony and Ziva are out of it and hopefully will stay that way until sunrise. I suggest we bunk down in the living room so we can hear anything if they do wake. I've got plenty of blankets and pillows. Up to you though. If you want to go home Jen, that's fine with me."

"Gibbs! How could you even think that!" exclaimed Abby. "You just said, 'tonight is family' so we're staying. All of us! Right Director Shepherd?" Abby looked directly at Jenny in feigned innocence, daring her to disagree.

"Yes, Abby," she replied repressing a smile. Only Abby could think of matchmaking in the midst of mayhem and disaster.

"Besides," Abby added with a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Who's gonna take all those cute photos of mini Tony and Ziva with Papa Gibbs?"

Despite the hardened glare that was delivered, as he turned back to his coffee, Gibbs couldn't help smirking at the thought of what Tony would say if Abby started snapping random 'cutsie' photos of him and Ziva. Or worse, what Ziva would do. He wondered if, despite her size, Ziva could still find ways to inflict maximum pain on anyone who dared to call her 'cute'. He imagined she probably could!

-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-NCIS-

It was 5.45am before movement was felt in the Gibbs' living room. Sunlight streamed through the window, waking Gibbs as he slept stretched out in the arm chair. His immediate thought was to question why there seem to be so much light in his basement. However, as his eyelids cracked to greet the dawn, the previous day come flooding back along with the realisation that he hadn't just experienced the weirdest dream of his entire life. Rubbing his palm over the scratchy stubble on his face, he took a cautious look at his surroundings and smiled. Lying on the mattress he had dragged down from upstairs, Tony and Ziva were cuddled together under some of the blankets Abby had fetched the previous night. Tony's left arm was slung protectively over Ziva's tiny body as she snuggled her back into him for warmth. Looking at her he was struck with a sudden awareness; she really was a beautiful child. Her hair was much lighter than that of adult Ziva. Almost golden in colour, the tangled curls cascaded around her face and over her shoulders like a delicate shawl. The petite facial features were almost cherub-like in appearance, tiny rosebud lips and ridiculously long, dark eyelashes that rested peacefully on the full cheeks that were just tinted with a flush of pink. In comparison, Tony's face definitely showed more maturity while still maintaining some resonance of childhood. The cheeks were more defined, the lips determined and gone was the baby-like wispiness that currently adorned Ziva; Tony's hair was definite in its style and much coarser. Although, Gibbs noted, it still retained a sun-bleached lightness that adult Tony no longer exhibited.

Shifting his eyes to the couch in front of the window, he noted that Abby and McGee were also entwined in a compilation of arms, legs and blankets. Having witnessed before the 'octopus' that was a sleeping Abby Scuito, he felt a twinge of sympathy for McGee. On the odd occasions Abby had stayed at his place due to some insecurity, irrational fear or simply because she couldn't be bothered driving home after a 'heart to heart', it had always amazed him how she could start the evening tucked snugly between crisp sheets and smooth blankets only to discover in the morning that both Abby and the bed looked like they had barely survived a tornado ripping through the room. He'd concluded on more than one occasion, that Abby chose to sleep in a coffin simply to confine her flailing limbs.

Ducky on the other hand, had adopted a pose more befitting that of a gentlemen in his senior years. Having slept in the other arm chair, he was currently sitting upright with legs outstretched and shined leather shoes peeking out from under the blanket that was pulled up to his chin. Gibbs had been pleased when Ducky had also elected to stay the night. He had been worried about Tony or Ziva unexpectedly becoming ill again or something unusual or untoward happening and just knowing his trusted friend was there was certainly a comfort to Gibbs.

It was only as his eyes moved back to the mattress on the floor that he realised Jen wasn't there. She had decided to spend the night on the floor with Tony and Ziva so that she could be there immediately should they suddenly wake. But the discarded blanket and empty space spoke otherwise. Then, in answer to his question, the fresh aroma of coffee wafted in from the kitchen. Rising silently so as not to disturb the others, Gibbs left the living room and headed towards the caffeinated scent which was drawing his attention.

He found her leaning against the cupboards, mug in hand, eyes closed in reflective thought. He smiled to himself as he remembered the way she always refused to speak until she had taken that first, sweet mouthful of coffee. Closing the double doors of the kitchen so as to minimise any noise their impending conversation may create, he strode to the coffee pot and poured himself a mug of the dark invigorating brew. It was only after the second swallow that he found himself greeting her with a simple "Morning Jen."

"Jethro," she responded quietly.

More silence.

Finally, after those first few mouthfuls had managed to seep into his bloodstream, Gibbs took a seat at the table and watched as Jenny followed suit, choosing the chair adjacent to him.

"So," she said looking up at him. "What happens now?"

"Well, first things first," he replied. "They obviously can't go home. They're going to need someone to take care of them. Both of them are old enough to make the decision of where they want to stay but I think it should be with either you or me. I don't somehow see either Ziva or DiNozzo accepting Tim or Abby as surrogate guardians and Ducky has enough on his plate with his mother to look after. You right with that Jen?"

Seeing her nod, he continued. "They're gonna need clothes, and assuming it could be a while before we get this sorted, they're gonna need stuff to keep them occupied. I think, once we know where they're staying, I'll get McGee to retrieve DiNozzo's TV and various gadgets and stuff from his apartment. Might get him to hook up a couple of computers as well. A bored DiNozzo we don't need!" he finished off with a grim determination.

Jenny smiled in agreement. "I think it's important that Abby tries to figure out what was in the serum and whether or not she can work out an anti-dote," Jenny added. "If she doesn't keep her mind busy, she'll have a meltdown. And I know Abby will feel better if she is actively helping to fix…" Her words were cut off by the muffled sounds of people stirring in the other room. "Sounds like the troops are awake," she announced, getting up and opening the doors to the living room.

"Yep! Better start cooking I guess," added Gibbs rising and heading to the fridge for breakfast supplies.

"Good morning," greeted Jenny cheerfully. "Coffee's hot!"

"Thank you Jennifer," said Ducky as he carefully folded the blanket he had used for the night. "But I think I might retrieve the teapot I bought Jethro a couple of years ago. Not for him of course, but solely for my benefit you understand. Can't bear those tiny bags they try to pass off as tea. I may as well be drinking the sawdust from Jethro's basement!" He chuckled warmly as he passed her on his way into the kitchen.

"And how are you two this morning?" asked Jenny as she made her way to the mattress in the middle of the floor. Both Tony and Ziva, although looking a little dishevelled, were awake and examining their new bodies.

"Oh God, I was hoping it was a dream," whined Tony. "Seriously, look at these arms, they're twigs. And my legs; beanpoles!" He clutched his throat. "My voice! I could be the second soprano in the Vienna Boy's Choir. Oh Sheesh, this is not good."

"Shut up Tony!" snapped Ziva. "At least you're tall enough to reach the kitchen bench. Look at me? I'm a small chip!"

"Fry, Ziva," corrected Tony. "It's 'small fry' And, I might add, a fry is a baby fish, nothing to do with skinny potatoes and oil"

"Whatever!" She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I'm too little to do anything."

"Awe Zi," cooed Abby coming over to hug the small girl. "I think you're adorable. I could just eat you up."

"Don't!" protested Ziva, her arms warding off Abby's enthusiasm. "I may be small, but I can still make use of my training."

"Eeep!" squeaked Tony. "I don't doubt that!" He started to stand, kicking aside the tangled blankets around his feet. "Ahh, gonna need some clothes I think. As much as I appreciate the Boss' generosity in loaning me one of his shirts, this is not going to win me any dignity contests."

"Yes, we were just saying that." Jenny agreed. "I suggest we have some breakfast and then discuss what should be the next course of action." Shifting the blankets from around their legs, Jenny tried to make the way clear for Ziva to stand without making it obvious she was helping. It wasn't long before she was ushering them both towards the kitchen table.

"Coffee!" declared Tony, grabbing a mug from the table. "Let me at it."

"DiNozzo! You're ten years old, I don't think so," exclaimed Gibbs.

"What! Come on Boss, you've got to be kidding!"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Tony stared into his Boss' steely blue eyes and slumped into the nearest chair. Were things not bad enough and now he was going to be deprived of the one thing that could help him get through this already difficult day? Gibbs saw Tony visibly wilt in his chair and the sheer look of dejection was enough to elicit a small amount of sympathy for the boy.

"I'll make a compromise," he said and Tony looked up expectantly. "You can have a small amount of coffee in a full glass of milk. Should be enough to kick start the day for ya."

"Thanks Boss, I knew you wouldn't let me loose on the streets without my daily fuel."

"Ziva! No!" Jenny's startled cry pulled everyone's attention towards the small figure now standing on the kitchen bench and reaching precariously into one of the top cupboards. Having been distracted by the coffee discussion between Tony and Gibbs, no one had noticed Ziva pull the chair towards the cupboards and climb lithely onto the counter. Gibbs rushed forward and caught her around the waist, depositing her once again on the floor.

"What do you think you're doing Ziver?" he asked sternly.

"I _was_ getting my breakfast," she replied curtly. "That is until you dropped me back on the floor again. How else am I supposed to reach things?"

"You're supposed to ask," he stated gruffly. "You don't climb on chairs and then onto benches. What if you fell? If you need something you ask one of us to get it for you."

"Gibbs, I have been independent since I was a small child. I am not accustomed to asking for help. And I am not about to start now. I am perfectly capable of climbing on a chair and standing on a bench. I have climbed roof rafters to disarm bombs if you remember?" She stared up defiantly, challenging him to disagree.

Getting down to her level so that they were face to face, Gibbs glared determinedly into her large brown eyes and said with a quiet menace to his voice. "Yes! And if you remember, I wasn't too happy about it then either."

Not intimidated by either his voice or his closeness, Ziva crossed her arms, leaned closer into his face and replied smugly. "You threatened to kick my ass back to Israel. Can't do that now." If it were possible, Gibbs moved even closer so that their noses were almost touching and said in a voice only she could hear, "No, but now I can spank it." Smirking at the look of outrage that appeared on her face, he stood up again. To deflect the situation, he turned back to the eggs that were frying in the pan and said cheerfully, "So Ziva, what would you like for breakfast?"

All eyes were now on the tiny assassin who stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes fixed mutinously on Gibbs. Suddenly her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine!" she huffed. "I would like cereal." Then thinking that she didn't wish to sound ungrateful she added, "please".

Returning the chair to the table, she sat herself down and watched as Jenny retrieved the cereal from the top cupboard and tipped some into a bowl. Before she could argue, the milk had been poured and a spoon placed in front of her. Realising there was no point in making a fuss; Ziva picked up the spoon and began eating.

It wasn't long before everyone was seated comfortably and tucking into their chosen breakfast. The contented sounds of chewing and gentle conversations soon dissipated the tension that had been there only minutes before. Now onto his second cup of coffee, Gibbs spoke to the group.

"After we've finished eating, I want you," he looked at Abby, "and McGee to go and buy something these two can wear. Just get something quick for now. I'll take them out later to get more stuff so they can pick out their own clothes." Seeing Abby's face light up, he added, "Nothing outrageous Abs, just basic jeans and a shirt ok?" He looked intently at her, eyebrows raised as realisation of what he has said dawned on her. In the space of about three seconds, Abby's expressions changed from elation, to offence, to pouting, to finally resignation and slight annoyance that he had read her so well. "Then both of you should head back to work and see if you can figure out what this lunatic used and how we can get these two back to normal again." Abby nodded, her mouth full of toast, while McGee responded with a quick 'Yes Boss'.

"Now, obviously," Gibbs continued turning to look at Tony and Ziva, "you two can't live on your own while you are this age." He paused expecting some sort of argument and was surprised, albeit very pleased, when none came from either child. He guessed both of them had probably already internalised that thought and resigned themselves to being 'looked after' until this was sorted out. "So, I want you to think about where you want to live for the time being. You are both welcome to stay here or you can choose to live with the Director. It's up to you. Just let me know when you've decided."

Tony looked towards Jenny. "Ah, no offence Director but I think it would be better if I stayed here. It's a guy thing, you understand."

"That's fine DiNozzo," Jenny smirked as she spoke. "Kind of thought as much." She turned to Ziva. "It's ok if you want to stay here as well Ziva. It may even be better if you two stayed together, but if you'd rather come and live with me, that's quite all right as well. It's up to you."

Ziva looked down at her now empty cereal bowl and thought carefully. As much as Tony annoyed her, she did at least feel comfortable knowing he was going through the same thing she was. Besides, it could be fun to annoy him. She looked expectantly at Gibbs.

"If it's ok with you Gibbs, I would like to stay here also?" Her voice was so small and held an unfamiliar edge of uncertainty. Staring intently at her, Gibbs could almost detect a fear of rejection in her eyes. Despite her outward bravado, he sensed an insecure little girl still lingered from her past.

"Fine with me," he replied, gruffly enough to indicate he didn't really care either way, yet with a firmness that assured her she was both accepted and wanted.

He stood, taking his plate to the sink. Abby also stood and, grabbing McGee's arm said exuberantly, "Come on Timmy, let's go buy some kiddy wear!"

"Just jeans and shirts Abs," reminded Gibbs as they headed out the door. He grinned at the groan he heard as the door closed. Turning to the group left in the kitchen he announced, "Well, if I'm going to have two house guests, I guess we'd better get some rooms organised. Can't have you sleeping on the living room floor." He left and, as he began to take the stairs two at a time, he called back, "Who's up for helpin'?" The sound of scraping chairs and clambering feet echoed behind him.

**Please feel free to review :)**


	4. Trials and Tribulations

**Author's Note (Sorry it's a bit long)**

**Thanks again for all your support. I know I say it every time, but it really is much appreciated.**

**I wanted to highlight a couple of points behind my reasoning for the way in which Gibbs responds to some of the situations. I feel that he would struggle with how to deal with his former agent/officer by alternating between treating them like adults and then like children. As Gibbs is a 'chauvinist' (his words) he would also have a softer way of dealing with Ziva than Tony, this being intensified because Ziva is younger. We see this all the time with the way he treats adult Abby and Ziva compared with adult Tony and Tim. **

**Secondly, I see Gibbs as a fair but firm parent. He would expect obedience just as he does in the workplace. The fact that he quite freely smacks Tony (and occasionally Tim and Ziva) on the back of the head, says that he's not afraid to use physical discipline if needed. However, I don't see Gibbs as a parent who would have spanked frequently, but rather as one who would give a quick, sharp swat when necessary as a 'wake-up call', much in the same way he uses the head slaps. That being said, while there is mention of spanking in this story, particularly chapter 5, it is certainly not the focus. My aim is for Ziva and Tony to see that discipline can be giving in a loving, supporting atmosphere and very rarely, does it need to be physical.**

**So, with that said, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4 Trials and Tribulations

"Come _on_ Abby," whined Tony. "You seriously don't expect me to wear this? Boss? Help me out here!"

"DiNozzo, it's just for an hour or so while we go and pick out some others. Quit whining!" Striding over to Abby, Gibbs quietly asked "What were you thinkin' Abs?"

Abby at least had the grace to look ashamed before she answered, "You said shirts and jeans, Gibbs. That's a shirt."

"It's got a friggin picture of Elmo on it saying 'Tickle Me'!" yelled Tony. "What kind of ten year old wears this and how the hell did you find it in this size!" Tony was sitting on his newly made bed, bare-chested and arms crossed.

"Hey! Language!" reprimanded Gibbs.

I'm thirty-three Boss!"

"You look ten. And that kind of language shouldn't come out of the mouth of a ten year old."

"But…"

"End of discussion DiNozzo. Put the damn shirt on so we can get in the car." Gibbs was nearing the end of his patience. Shopping was one of his least favourite things to do, and with a five and a ten year old tagging behind, the task had hit an all time low. Thank God Jenny was coming along. Hopefully he could sneak away for a while under the pretence of buying coffee for them both.

"I do not understand all this fuss Tony. My clothes are fine," simpered Ziva. She ran her hands over the pale blue jeans and fingered the flower buttons on her white blouse just to annoy him. She was enjoying seeing her partner in distress. It helped to make up for all the times he had teased her mercilessly.

"You're a girl Zee-vah, you wouldn't understand. And besides, YOU'RE NOT WEARING ELMO!" Tony threw the shirt on the floor and stomped on it.

Gibbs' strode purposefully over to Tony, who visibly flinched in anticipation of a head slap. But, instead, Gibbs yanked the shirt off the floor and held it out to the sulking boy. "You have to count of three to put this shirt on, or you don't come shopping with us. And _this_," he shook the shirt in his hand, "will be the only shirt you will have to wear until we get this mess sorted out. Your choice Tony!"

Tony stared at his boss. Was he serious? Surely he wouldn't leave him with just this shirt…

"ONE!"

Hmmm, maybe he would. After all, that second 'b'….

"TWO!"

"Alright, I'll put the stupid thing on. But Abby?" he shouted towards the door where Abby had been watching the interaction. "Payback's a bi…..bummer" he amended quickly seeing the glare Gibbs directed at him.

After Tony had finally put on the shirt with an immense amount of huffing and puffing, Gibbs and Jenny quickly shuffled the two children into the car before any more disasters could arise. The trip was blissfully uneventful and, once the car was parked, Gibbs turned to the two in the back seat.

"Right, ground rules. One, you stay with one of us at all times. Do not leave our line of vision for any reason, got it?" Both children nodded. "I want words," instructed Gibbs.

"Yes Boss"

"Yes Gibbs"

"And two, if you need to go to the head, you ask. If you want to look at something, you ask. If you need _anything_, you ask. OK?"

"Isn't that just the same as rule one Boss?" asked Tony. Gibbs glared at him. "Yes Boss…need a potty break, I ask. Got it!"

Gibbs continued, "If either one of you breaks these rules, then you will be stuck holding my hand for the rest of the trip."

Tony grimaced, "Right Boss."

"Ziva?" prompted Gibbs when she hadn't responded.

Ziva squirmed in her seat. "But, what if…." She looked down and started picking at one of the flower buttons. Then looked at him again, brown meeting blue. "What if we would like to hold your hand?" She blushed and looked down again finding the second button on her blouse very interesting.

Gibbs, quite taken aback by her vulnerability, smiled. "Then Ziver?" His gentle tone commanded her eyes to look into his again. "All you have to do is ask."

Her face flushed with pleasure as she carefully undid the seat belt. Tony also smiled as he watched her. Who knew his little ninja assassin could be so sweet.

To any passerby, they looked like a typical family out enjoying a Saturday morning's shopping in the mall. Tony stuck pretty close to either Jenny or Gibbs although Gibbs wasn't sure if that was because he didn't want to break the rules or simply because he was trying to hide the hideous t-shirt Abby had bought for him. Ziva, surprisingly, had fallen into her role of a five year old quite cheerfully. She skipped alongside Gibbs, her small hand tucked into his, while their arms swung to and fro with each step. Gibbs found himself once again questioning just how confined and short-lived her childhood had been.

It wasn't long before Jenny spotted a children's department store and steered them in the right direction. Once inside, Tony grabbed Gibbs' arm and dragged him towards the shirts that were hanging on the back wall.

"Thank God!" he exclaimed as he tore down as many as he could reach. "Let's buy them all. Anything so that I can get out of this one!"

Gibbs noticed that, once distracted by the racks of clothing, Ziva had quickly pulled away from him, rushing forwards with a squeal of excitement.

"Ziva!" called Gibbs sternly. "Rule one!"

She stopped dead in her tracks and without thinking, turned around, pointed her finger at him and immediately answered "Never screw over your partner, yes?"

Tony snorted with laughter. Even Jenny had covered her mouth to hide the snigger that had escaped. Ziva looked at them bewildered at what she had said wrong. Then it dawned on her.

"Oh, that rule one. Sorry Gibbs," and she headed back to Jenny, taking her hand and pulling her towards the girls clothing. Gibbs just smirked and shook his head.

"Ya gotta admit Boss, she's pretty cute at times," said Tony innocently as he wandered towards the jeans, his arms full of various shirts.

"Yeah, good job I'd say!" replied Gibbs more to himself than to Tony.

Fifty minutes later saw the little group leaving the department store with several bags hanging from each arm. Tony, now wearing a black t-shirt, looked happier than he had all morning. Having tried it on last, he had refused to take it off, insisting that the attendant scan the tag while it hung from his wrist, then ripping off the bit of plastic before leaving the store.

"I'm starving Boss! Can we have something to eat please?" Tony asked, his mouth drooling as he spotted the food court just ahead of them. He sniffed the air appreciatively. "Mmmmm…pizza…"

Gibbs turned to Jenny "You ok with that, Jen?"

"Well unless you want DiNozzo to break into a chorus of 'Food, Glorious Food' I would suggest some lunch would be a very good idea," she answered dryly.

"Nice reference Director," stated Tony. "Although I see myself more as Lumiere singing 'Be Our Guest', a little more suave and a little less understated."

"Whatever DiNozzo," Jenny quipped. "You want pizza? Then steer your butt in that direction." She pointed towards a pizzeria decked out in red, white and green, with little Italian flags stretched out along the front servery.

"Good choice!" acclaimed Tony, as he let his nose lead the way.

With their orders balanced precariously on two trays, they made their way to a spare table. The food was dished out and the drinks carefully set in the middle of the table to minimise any chance of them being knocked to the floor. Tony grabbed a slice of his pepperoni pizza and began tearing off huge mouthfuls, not bothering to swallow before the next mouthful was shovelled in.

"Tony, you may want to swallow before taking another bite," suggested Gibbs sarcastically. "Your mouth, big as it is, can only hold so much."

Ziva giggled. Tony made a huge performance of swallowing his mouthful then turned to Ziva,

"Oh you think that's funny, midget?" he asked.

"A little, yes," she answered smugly as Tony took another huge bite.

"Yeah, well, I wonder if ya think _this_ is funny?" he mumbled around the food as he reached into his cup grabbing out a couple of pieces of ice, fully intending to dump them down Ziva's back. She squealed and ran around the table, hiding behind Jenny. Unfortunately, in his haste, he had forgotten the first rule of eating; don't breathe in while chewing. Suddenly his lungs exploded into racking coughs as his body tried to dislodge the pizza bits now caught in his throat. Gibbs reached out and, probably a little harder than was strictly necessary, began slapping Tony on the back. After several minutes of coughing, Tony's breathing finally settled down enough for him to say, "Thank you Boss"

"Come on Ziva, sit back down again please," instructed Jenny.

"But what if Tony tries to put ice down my back?" the little girl whined.

"He won't," Jenny assured her.

"He might," Ziva insisted.

"No, he won't!" Jenny reached around and grabbed Ziva's arm, gently bringing her back to her seat. "Now, finish your lunch and we can get going."

Watching Tony warily, Ziva slowing began eating again. When he grinned annoyingly at her, she responded by poking out her tongue, dropping bits of cheese on the table.

"Oops," she said sheepishly.

Sighing, Gibbs rose from the table. "You right to stay here for a while Jen? There's something I need to get before we leave. I shouldn't be longer than fifteen."

Frowning slightly, Jenny looked at him wondering what the secrecy was all about. "OK," she responded. "Don't be too long though."

True to his word, Gibbs returned, empty handed however, in under fifteen minutes. During that time, Jenny had managed to avoid a food fight by handing out to each child a pen she had found in her bag and allowing them to draw on the back of their tray liners.

"Let's go," instructed Gibbs, taking Ziva's hand and ushering them away from the food court.

It was only as they approached the car and Gibbs opened the back passenger door, that the reason behind his mysterious absence became obvious.

"No Gibbs!" shouted Ziva. "I am not sitting in that! Tony doesn't have one!" Sitting behind the driver's seat was a pale purple car seat with bright yellow padded arm rests. To add insult to injury, the only one Gibbs could find that was suitable for four to six year olds, had Dora the Explorer pictures all over the outside edge of the plastic.

"Ziver, it's the law. You are too small to sit in the back without some sort of restraint. It was risky enough driving you here without one," Gibbs placated. "Besides, it will raise you up and you'll be able to see better."

"But that is for infants. Look at all those pictures on it!" Ziva tugged her hand out of Gibbs' and moved away from the car door, leaning up against the trunk.

"It's the only one they had. Come on kiddo, no one will notice." Gibbs held out his hand for Ziva to take so he could help her in.

"I will notice!" she replied crossing her arms and staring defiantly ahead.

Gibbs sighed, "Don't have time for this Ziva. You need to get in the car so we can get going." Ziva however, continued to stare straight ahead. "NOW!" Gibbs commanded in a tone that boded immediate obedience.

Realising that this was probably not going to end well, Jenny opened Tony's side of the car and steered him in, telling him to buckle up. She then got into the front seat and both of them waited while Ziva and Gibbs continued their stand-off outside.

"This isn't gonna be pretty," remarked Tony.

"No, it isn't," agreed Jenny.

Outside, Ziva's stubbornness was not winning her any favours. But, to her credit, she wasn't backing down despite the fact that the glare she was currently receiving more often than not had hardened criminals running for cover.

With his patience running very thin, Gibbs stepped forward and took hold of Ziva's arm, fully intending to pick her up and forcibly place her in the car seat. Ziva, however, had other ideas and immediately made her body go limp, resulting in her being dumped ungracefully on the ground.

Gibbs crouched down next to her.

"Right young lady. We can do this two ways. One, you get into the car right now and we go home. Or two, you can pitch a fit here in the car park, earning yourself a sore butt and then you get into the car and we go home. Which is it gonna be?"

"You cannot beat me Gibbs. I am not a child." Ziva's voice hitched slightly. "I may look like a child, but I am 28 years old. My whole life has been turned upside down. I no longer have any control over what I want to do. Imagine how you would feel." She looked up at him, tears burning her eyes. "It's not fair!" she yelled. Frustration and anger suddenly overwhelmed her as she felt her temper rise and before she could control her actions she was kicking her feet on the ground suddenly in full tantrum mode, while tears streamed down her face. She knew she was being unreasonable and acting every bit of her five years, but somehow she just couldn't seem to stop.

Gibbs closed the car door to give them some privacy and sat down next to her. Crossing his legs he gently drew Ziva into his lap. Cradling her, he let her sob into his shirt allowing her the chance to relieve some of the frustration she was feeling. After a few minutes, when the sobbing had turned to an occasional hiccup, he put a finger under her chin and lifted her face so they were eye to eye.

"Ziver," he began softly. "I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like to be in your situation. But you have to realise that refusing to do something as simple as sitting in a car seat is being ridiculous. I get that it's humiliating to find yourself suddenly thrust into the body of a five year old, but humiliating or not, it is what it is. And the law says you have to sit in a car restraint until you are either eight years old or over 4ft 9. Throwing a tantrum about it isn't going to change that."

"I know Gibbs." Ziva replied quietly. "But it's like I suddenly have no control over my actions. I can see myself being unreasonable but I cannot stop." She sniffed pathetically and scrubbed at her eye with the back of her hand. "The anger burns in me and I just want to hit something or run away."

"Yeah, that's because not only have you regressed in age but emotionally as well. Your memories might be that of a twenty-eight year old but there's a part of your mind that is now five years old. It has the attention span and the emotions of a five year old. And when that takes over, you become a five year old." Gibbs reasoned.

Looking into her watery brown eyes, red and puffy from crying, Gibbs' heart melted. "Come on kiddo," he said as he carefully stood up, lifting Ziva with him. "Let's go home and we can talk more about this then. I'm sure DiNozzo is feeling just as confused and frustrated as you are." He carried her around to the back passenger door. "You gonna co-operate?" He stared into her sorrowful eyes and waited for a response.

Ziva sniffed and slowly nodded.

"Good girl" he praised, softly kissing the top of her head before opening the car door. He placed her in the car seat and buckled her in. Getting into the driver's seat, he started the car and began backing out.

Tony looked over towards Ziva and reached out his hand, placing it gently on her arm. "You ok Zi?" he asked. Ziva, not in the mood for talking, simply shrugged off his arm and turned away, staring out the window.

"Leave it Tony," was all Gibbs said as they pulled out of the car park and into the traffic.

Exhausted from crying, it wasn't long before Ziva fell asleep. Her brown curls falling gently over her face, the tear-stain tracks still visible on her cheeks. Tony kept nervously glancing her way, wondering what had happened outside after Gibbs had shut the car door. In the almost two years he had known Ziva, he'd never seen her cry and now it seemed to be a regular occurrence.

Jenny too was curious as to the previous goings-on. She looked towards Gibbs and, so that Tony couldn't hear, quietly asked "What happened Jethro?"

"Meltdown," he replied. "I guess it had to happen and it probably won't be the last."

"Did you spank her?"

"Nah, threatened to though. That's what set her off." He remembered, with a growing sense of unease, Ziva's words. "You cannot _beat_ me Gibbs." Her use of the word 'beat' was somewhat disconcerting and he worried what her interpretation of 'a sore butt' actually meant. Sighing audibly he continued, "When we get home, and once she's awake, I'm gonna sit 'em both down and talk about this. God knows how long this is gonna last. It's not going to be easy for anyone and they need to know what to expect."

Jenny turned back and stared ahead. "Yep," she agreed and then, more to herself, added, "Good luck with that!"

**Thanks for reading. Please review :)**


	5. Rules and Consequences

**Author's note**

**(Sorry, really long again – but I guess I want you as the reader to understand my thought processes when writing and why I have the characters doing certain things. Please indulge me)**

**Firstly, thanks again for all the reviews, favourites and follows. You guys are fantastic!**

**The following is in response to a wonderful review left by a guest. I can't answer these directly, and I feel a couple of issues were raised that I would like to address for all my readers. There was some concern that if Gibbs were to spank Ziva or Tony it could ruin their working relationships when both children are 'turned back.' Again, I guess I'm trying to imagine how the character of Gibbs would act in these situations. Because he sees Ziva and Tony, not only as children, but also as the adults they were previously, there isn't the same relationship as I feel he would have with a biological child that he has raised since birth and nurtured along the way. I don't see him as having the patience to adopt the many strategies we use when parenting today. I personally do not condone spanking and have always used non physical forms of discipline. However, I'm not writing about how I would deal with Ziva or Tony, but rather how Gibbs would deal with them. Gibbs is old school and, as such, would use old school methods. He's quite happy to smack them on the back of the head, an action which is completely inappropriate in the workplace, but something we, as an audience, accept because 'that's just Gibbs'.**

**We also know in season three he threatened to start smacking Abby and that it 'wouldn't be on the head', implying he would spank her. Again, I don't think even Gibbs would actually do this, but because the threat is spoken, it reflects the kind of person Gibbs is. Therefore, if faced with a five year old Ziva deliberately defying him or doing something really dangerous, I personally don't think he would hesitate to apply a well placed smack on her bottom. I don't believe he would rationalise the thought process of how this might affect things later; it would be an instinctive reaction to the immediate situation. However, I don't feel that he would actually spank Tony. I certainly have no plans of writing this. I believe even Gibbs would see that there are far better ways to deal with a ten year old. However, I do see Gibbs enjoying the fact that the threat of a 'sore butt' was still voiced, just as it was for adult Abby in season three.**

**Finally (I promise!), please remember this is set towards the end of season 4, so there are still many aspects to their personalities and relationships that haven't happened yet. During this time, and we're going back to 2006, the characters were still developing and the depth of some relationships weren't as established as they are now in 2014. Somalia hasn't happened, nor has the Senior DiNozzo episodes and, for the purpose of this story, the Jeanne Benoit and Hollis Mann story-lines are non-existent. So much has taken place in the last seven seasons of NCIS so, think of this story as a little step back in TV time to when the characters lived in a more 'innocent age'.**

**Ok, enough said. Let's move on – lol!**

Chapter 5 - Rules and Consequences

Pulling into the driveway, Gibbs turned off the engine. Looking into the back seat he was surprised to see Tony unbuckling his belt. He had been so quiet on the trip home; Gibbs had assumed he had also fallen asleep. He frowned as he watched the boy open the car door silently and trudge up the front path. Without looking back he entered the unlocked front door and disappeared inside.

"Looks like Ziva isn't the only one who's struggling with this," Jenny commented. "I don't think I've ever seen him so quiet."

"Yeah, he pissed about something," sighed Gibbs. Looking at his watch he was surprised to see it was only 13.45. So much had happened in the last twenty four hours. Looking at Jenny he said with a genuine smile, "Thanks for today Jen. I really appreciate it."

She looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Well that's a first. You going soft on me Agent Gibbs?"

Rolling his eyes he glared at her.

"Ahh, that's more like it." She smiled warmly. "And as much as I'd like to stay, I'm going to have to get back to work. Need to catch up on what I missed yesterday."

"Give me a hand with this stuff first?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied.

Getting out of the car, they both collected the many and varied packages they had purchased that morning. Dumping them inside the door, they both headed out again, Jenny to her own car and Gibbs to retrieve Ziva.

"Ring me if you need anything Jethro," Jenny called as she got into her car.

"Will do. Thanks" he replied. Going to the back seat, he carefully unbuckled Ziva from the car seat and carried her inside. She stayed asleep only shifting slightly to nuzzle her head on his shoulder. He placed her gently on the sofa and covered her with one of the blankets left from last night. He looked around for Tony.

The sound of movement from the kitchen drew his attention and he headed in that direction. Tony was seated at the table. A glass of milk placed in front of him and a sullen look on his face.

"What's up with you?" asked Gibbs as he crossed the room to turn on the coffee machine.

"Nothing," replied Tony sulkily.

"Doesn't look like nothing." Gibbs took a seat opposite Tony and stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate. When Tony didn't comply he stood up to grab a mug and make some coffee. "Ok," he said nonchalantly. "Not gonna force ya."

With his back turned, he began pouring the steaming brew into the mug. He knew Tony would talk when he was ready and appearing unconcerned would hopefully speed up the process.

"How hard did you hit her Boss?" he eventually heard Tony say, a hint of anger in his tone.

Gibbs spun around and faced him. "What?" he exclaimed.

"I said, how hard did you hit her?"

"I didn't Tony." As much as Gibbs didn't feel the need to explain himself, he also didn't want Tony getting the wrong idea. Looking carefully at the young boy at the table, he sat down and stared into his eyes.

"What makes you think I hit her?"

"I heard you. Well, I heard you threaten her, heard her yelling at you and then suddenly she was crying. Really crying Boss. Ziva doesn't cry like that." Tony stood angrily and banged his hands on the table. "You shouldn't have hit her, she's only little and she's confused."

"Augh Tony, sit down and listen carefully." He waited and watched while Tony slowly sat down again and crossed his arms defiantly. He had to admit though, he was proud of the way Tony protected Ziva. Despite their constant bickering, he really did care for her and was willing to endure Gibbs' wrath in order to stand up for her.

"Yes, I threatened her. Yes she started yelling. And yes, she started crying. But it wasn't because I spanked her. She basically had a meltdown in the car park. All I did Tony was to hold her and comfort her until the crying stopped and she was ready to get back into the car."

Tony looked up at him. "You sure Boss?"

Gibbs glared at him

"Well, Ok, then. I wasn't sure," Tony looked down.

"Listen Tony, when Ziva wakes up, we're gonna sit down and have talk about what's happened, how you both are feeling and what changes we need to make. OK?"

"Feelings Boss," grinned Tony. "You sure you can handle that?"

As Gibbs lifted his hand in preparation for a gentle head slap, Tony ducked away expertly and leapt from the chair. "Gotta be quicker than that, Boss." He replied cheekily as he headed into the living room.

"Don't push it DiNozzo," growled Gibbs, but there was a definite twinkle in his eye. He shook his head and took another mouthful of his coffee savouring the peace until the next disaster.

As Ziva slept, Gibbs washed up the breakfast dishes left from the morning, while Tony tried desperately to find something to watch on the old black and white television. He finally settled on some old western movie and was quite engrossed in the plot when Ziva stirred. Looking over at her, he watched as she rubbed her eyes and cautiously sat up.

"Hey there Sleeping Beauty, 'bout time you surfaced. Thought I was gonna have to tip some water on you," Tony grinned goofily at her.

Ziva just rolled her eyes and said "Where's Gibbs?"

Tony pointed towards the kitchen as Gibbs, on hearing Ziva's voice, stuck his head through the door and asked, 'Hey kiddo, you want a drink of juice?"

"Yes please" she answered, untangling herself from the blanket to sit upright on the couch. She pushed her hair off her face and stared at the TV blankly, still in the throes of waking up. Gibbs brought in two glasses of juice and gave one to Tony before handing the other to Ziva. He then switched off the TV and beckoned Tony to sit next to Ziva on the sofa. As Tony moved, Gibbs perched himself on the coffee table in front of them.

Ziva took a sip of juice and then looked sorrowfully up at Gibbs. "Am I in trouble?" she asked in a small voice.

"No Ziver, but we do need to talk." Ziva and Tony put their glasses down on the edge of the coffee table and looked expectantly at Gibbs waiting for him to speak.

"A lot's happened over the last twenty-four hours hey?" Both children nodded. "Look, I don't know what's going on or how long this is gonna last. I haven't heard from Abby yet, but I know she'll be working her butt off to figure this out. However, we are faced with a tricky situation. I know yesterday morning both of you were adults doing your job, but things have changed and I need to know what's going on inside your heads." He looked carefully at each child wondering who would speak first. However, he was faced with silence. "Tony?" he prompted.

"I dunno Boss," replied Tony. "It's kinda weird. I mean, part of me still feels thirty-three. I still have memories of being an adult, I remember going to college, going to work, you, Ducky, Abby… but there's also this part of me that feels like a ten year old. I know I look like a ten year old, but sometimes I feel like it too. I get antsy and frustrated. I can't seem to rationalise things like I could and I just wanna run and play or annoy people…"

"Well that's not much different," interrupted Gibbs sarcastically.

"Hey," replied Tony indignantly. "Not helping." He paused and thought carefully. "It's like being a little kid again, but not really. It's hard to explain Boss."

"What about you?" Gibbs asked, looking towards Ziva.

"Same," she responded. "In the car park today, I could feel myself being unreasonable. I knew it was irrational to throw a tantrum but I couldn't stop myself. I was so angry but I didn't really understand why."

"I think the problem here," began Gibbs seriously, "is that when you regressed in age and size, you regressed emotionally as well. Although you both have retained your adult memories and some small degree of adult rationalisations, you have the reactions and emotions of a ten year old or a five year old. It's like you said Ziva, you can't control your actions even though you can see they are irrational."

"So what does that mean Boss?" asked Tony

"Well, for all intents and purposes, you're a ten year old, with the emotions and reactions of a ten year old."

"That sucks," sighed Tony.

"Yeah, it does," agreed Gibbs. "And it doesn't end there. Because your emotions and reactions have regressed, so have many other aspects of yourself. For example, your body won't cope with lack of sleep like it used to, you won't be able to handle caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods in the same way. You'll get upset over small things that normally wouldn't bother you. You may suddenly find yourself throwing a tantrum, or over reacting or making poor judgements." He stopped to look at them, then sighed. This next part was going to be difficult. "And, when that happens, it's up to me as the adult to make sure you are safe, and to help steer you in the right direction."

"Oh geez," Tony said as he put his head in his hands. "Please tell me you don't mean what I think you mean?"

"Discipline Tony," stated Gibbs.

"Crap!" exclaimed Tony as he flung himself backwards into the sofa and slumped dejectedly.

"You mean you are going to beat us if we're disobedient?" Ziva asked simply. Again Gibbs was shocked at her wording.

"Ziver, how were you punished as a child?" he asked.

She looked down and started twisting the buttons of her shirt again. "My father had a rod that he would use to beat us with if we disobeyed him or our mother."

"Geez Zi, how old were you?" asked Tony, horrified at her words.

She took a deep breath. "The first time I was four. I had cried because Ari was leaving for his first mission and I did not want him to go. When my father asked me to stop and I was not able to, he took me into his study and beat me with the rod for showing weakness when I should have been proud of my brother." She remained looking down, ashamed at having to retell a moment of such vulnerability. "He said that experiencing intense pain was a valuable training tool. It helped us to resist torture should we ever be captured."

Gibbs felt the anger burn in his chest. He had little respect for Eli David as it was, but to hear how he treated his own child, sickened him. In the eight short years he had been blessed with Kelly, he could recall on one hand the amount of times he had had to spank her and most of those had been a quick, sharp swat to her backside to jolt her out of a situation. But to pick up a stick and forcibly beat your own child, a child of four no less, he couldn't even comprehend. And then to pass it off as a training technique! It was abuse, plain and simple.

With her past experiences, Gibbs realised he was going to have to be explicit with his explanations. "Ok, I want you to listen carefully Ziver. As children there will be times when you or Tony lose control, misbehave or don't listen to something I have asked you to do. When this happens, I will probably put you in time out. Do you know what that means?"

She shook her head.

"It means you will be placed somewhere, either a chair, corner or your room and told to sit or stand for a set amount of time until you have calmed down or until your time is up. Got it?"

"Yes," she replied softly.

"This will only happen if and when you are behaving like a child. Those times when you lose control of all adult sensibilities and rationalisations. A timeout gives you a chance to calm down and reflect. You do the same thing as an adult when you remove yourself from a volatile situation. The difference is, I'm making that decision for you when you are no longer able to make it for yourself." He paused to ensure his meaning was clear. Seeing that both of them were still on board, he continued."However, if either of you puts yourself in any sort of danger, or deliberately defies me, then I will spank you. I will not, nor ever, _beat_ you. I will only ever use my hand, I will only ever smack your backside, and it will always be over clothing." He smiled and added, "Think of it as a lowered headslap. Do you understand what I'm saying Ziva?"

She nodded again.

"Right, so are we clear on the consequences?" Gibbs looked at both of them and waited until they had answered in the affirmative.

"Good. Now there are two rules on which I will not negotiate. One, you never leave this house or yard without my permission. To the world outside you are no longer adults and neither of you possess the strength or ability to defend yourself that you had yesterday. And, two, the basement is out of bounds unless I am with you. You can come down to the bottom step, but you go no further. Are we clear on both of those?"

"Yes Gibbs,"

"Got it Boss"

"OK. The other stuff is just common sense. Don't run in the house, make sure you pick up after yourselves, respect each other. The kinds of things I would expect from you whether you're five or forty five." Again, both children nodded their understanding.

"Good, we're all on the same page then."

Not wanting to draw out the conversation any longer than necessary, Gibbs looked at his watch and said, "Well why don't you two go out the back for a bit? There's some balls and stuff in the bottom shed. See if there's something in there that can keep you out of trouble for a while."

Tony immediately rose and began heading out towards the kitchen. "You coming Zi?" he called when he noticed Ziva hadn't moved.

"Yes, in a minute Tony," she answered. She waited until Tony had left the room then turned to Gibbs.

"What is it Ziver?" he asked her gently.

"I…I am sorry Gibbs for earlier today. I did not mean to show such weakness," she looked uncomfortably down into her lap again.

"Listen here kiddo," Gibbs said as he reached for her, and before she could protest, he'd placed her on his lap. "What happened in the car park was just you being a typical five year old. And, I hate to tell ya, but it probably won't be the last time either." He focused on her brown eyes. "Ziver, I am not your father. If you need to cry, or scream, or release frustration without hurting yourself or anyone else, you go right ahead. You are safe here." He gently rubbed circles on her back as he spoke softly to her. "I am not your father Ziver," he repeated quietly into her ear.

"I wish you were."

It was said so softly, so quietly, that Gibbs questioned whether she had said it at all. But the tentative look in her eyes, told him she had spoken the words. He put two fingers under her chin and lifted her face so that he was looking directly into her eyes. "I'm not your father, but I am more than happy to be your Dad." Her brown eyes filled with tears and she suddenly looked down again. He didn't miss however, the beginnings of a grin on her face. He gently lifted her off his lap and patted her on the back. "How about you go and find Tony. I'm sure he's probably found something illegal he can do outside." She skipped off happily and Gibbs found himself choking back the lump in his throat. He knew she had experience a tough childhood, but he was only just beginning to see how Eli David's grooming of his second child had robbed her of the memory of having ever been a carefree little girl.

_-NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS-_

As Gibbs was putting away the various items of clothing they had bought that morning, his cell began ringing. Looking at the caller ID he noticed it was Abby. "Hey Abs, what ya got?" When he was faced with silence, he questioned more tentatively, "Abs?"

"Oh Gibbs," came Abby's dejected voice. "I don't know what to say. This is guy is beyond me and anything my babies can do. I've tried everything. Major Mass Spec is about to have a major coronary if I force him any more. I just don't have the medical know how to figure out what this guy was using and what can be done to reverse it. I failed Gibbs. I've actually failed."

"You haven't failed Abs," Gibbs began.

"But," her voice brightened. "I know what to do, Gibbs. I spoke to Ducky and he knows someone in the medical field who is willing to help us out. Ducky says she's very smart and very discrete."

"She?" questioned Gibbs.

"Yeah," giggled Abby. "Some old flame I'm thinking. The Duckman was a legend."

"Is Abby, he's not dead."

"So true oh wise one! Anyway, Ducky is passing the serum onto her and he'll let us know what she finds. Wish I could tell ya more Gibbs." She paused and then asked, "How are the dynamic duo going?"

"It's tough Abs and it's early days." Gibbs finished hanging up Tony's clothes and began picking out Ziva's. "You wanna come round for dinner tonight?"

"Sounds good Gibbs. I'll bring Chinese and McGee. We can choose which one we want to eat." She giggled and Gibbs heard a distinct "Hey!" in the background.

"Put McGee on Abs?" he asked.

"Righto, Gibbso. Over and out."

"Er…hi Boss" came Tim's tentative voice a moment later.

"McGee, before you and Abby come round tonight, can you go to DiNozzo's place and get anything techno-thingy based that he may want to have here? TV, DVD player? Looks like it might be a while before we can get this sorted and at least that stuff should keep him amused for a bit. Oh, and grab some DVDs. You might need to rent some that are more age appropriate. It's not just their bodies that have regressed."

"On it Boss."

"Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs!" called Abby's voice from the background.

"Yeah Abs," he replied once she had grabbed back the phone.

"I'll get some jigsaws for Ziva. She once told me she loves doing them."

"Good idea. Thanks Abs," He shut his phone ending the call and went back to sorting out the clothes. He had to admit, hanging up little girls' clothing certainly brought a pang of nostalgia to his heart. It had been a long time. Rubbing his thumb and forefinger over the soft purple material of one of the shirts, he found himself remembering a happier time. "Augh, I miss you guys," he said sadly as he placed the shirt on a hanger. Closing the closet door, he headed back down stairs.

_-__NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS- NCIS-_

As Gibbs was finishing off yet another cup of coffee, he heard angry voices coming from the back yard.

"Yeah, well you cheated Ziva."

"I did not Tony. It's not my fault if I can hit harder than you. You should have been quicker."

"It better not be broken, that's all I can say."

At the word 'broken' Gibbs leapt to his feet and was just heading to the side door when Ziva stomped in. Arms crossed and face sweaty, she plonked herself in the nearest chair, swivelled her body so it was facing away from the table and huffed. "He's such a baby!"

Tony entered next, his hand covering his nose and blood oozing out between his fingers.

"What happened?" demanded Gibbs as he headed to the freezer and grabbed out an icepack. Putting it on the back of Tony's neck, he sat the boy forward and told him to pinch his nose until the bleeding stopped.

"She happened Boss!" said Tony accusingly, pointing at Ziva who was sitting with her back to both him and Gibbs.

Gibbs glared at the back of Ziva waiting for her to respond.

Sensing the glare, Ziva replied haughtily, "It is not my fault if Tony is not skilled enough to hit the ball back or duck if necessary." She swung her legs to and fro staring ahead and refusing to acknowledge either Gibbs or Tony.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Tony. 'Gimme a look," he growled as he gently reached to lift Tony's head and pull away his hand. He tilted Tony's head up and down, left to right. "Not broken," he stated. "You'll live." Grabbing the icepack he placed it on Tony's nose. "Here, hold it on. It'll help with the bruising."

Looking at the back of Ziva's head, he barked "Hey, turn around and look at me Miss." When she begrudgingly did so, he turned back to Tony. "What happened?" he asked again.

"I found a Totem Tennis set in the shed and we were playing with it," Tony began.

"You were hitting it too high, on purpose so I couldn't reach it to hit it back!" Ziva interjected indignantly.

"'s not my fault you're a shrimp," Tony accused.

Ziva jumped out of her seat, her fist raised ready to bop Tony on his already bleeding nose.

"Hey!" shouted Gibbs, grabbing Ziva's hand and pulling her against him. "Hands to yourself madam!" He glared at Tony. "Continue," he demanded.

"So anyway," said Tony righteously. "It might have been a bit high for her, but instead of just asking me nicely, she jumps up and whacks the ball so hard, it swung round and thumped me full on the nose. It bloody hurt Boss."

Gibbs glared at him

"Well, it did!" Tony defended. "And she didn't even say sorry. She just laughed at me."

Gibbs turned to look at Ziva, "Is that true?" he asked.

"He did not care when he was hitting the ball above my head," she defended.

"But he didn't hurt you, did he?" Gibbs waited for an answer. "Did he?" he repeated more forcibly.

"No!" she huffed.

Seeing she was in full 'five year old mode', Gibbs tried to reason with her. "I know he was annoying you. But instead of coming to see me, you lost your temper and struck out," he explained. "You owe Tony an apology."

Turning from Gibbs, she narrowed her eyes at Tony. "I am sorry Tony," she sneered and Gibbs just knew from her tone she wasn't going to leave it there. Right on cue and leaning into Tony's face, she continued, "I am sorry that you are too weak to hit the ball back, too slow to duck and too much of a baby to put up with a little blood nose!" To highlight her point, she poked out her tongue.

"Bad choice Ziva," stated Gibbs calmly as he took hold of her arm and led her into the living room. "This," he stated as he sat her in one of the arm chairs, "is your first timeout. You will sit here for five minutes. I will set the timer on the stove. You do not move from this spot until I tell you to. If you get up, the timer starts again. Understood?"

"Yes" she huffed, crossing her arms.

Gibbs headed back into the kitchen and set the timer to five minutes. Looking back at Tony he admonished, "And you know better than to rile her up. You're the one who told me earlier 'she's only little'. How about you remember that the next time you are deliberately goading her into losing her temper!"

"But... " began Tony, his eyes wide in indignation. Seeing Gibbs just glare at him, he retracted his words. When he thought about it, he had been deliberately teasing Ziva. "Yes Boss," he replied quietly.

"Keep that icepack on for another five minutes. You can wait for the timer."

Gibbs ran his hands over his face then decided another coffee was probably the best course of action. Just as he was pouring it, he heard a small voice call from the living room.

"Is it five minutes yet?"

"No Ziver, I will tell you when you can get up." He smiled to himself as he put the pot back and sat down at the table.

"But this is boring Gibbs," the little voice whined again.

"That's the general idea Ziver. You're not meant to enjoy it. That's why it's called a punishment."

"Well I don't like it," she called out again.

"Well that's good," he laughed. "Maybe next time, you'll think before losing your temper."

"I did not lose my temper!"

"Do you want me to start the timer again?" Gibbs warned.

"You said if I got up you would start the timer again. You did not say I couldn't talk."

Tony snorted into his icepack. "She's got you there, Gibbs,"

Gibbs glared at him. "Do you want to sit here for another ten minutes?"

"Ahh…No. Sorry Boss," replied Tony, readjusting the icepack.

Gibbs walked into the living room and crouched down in front of Ziva. "When you are in timeout, you do not get up or speak. Your task is to sit there and think about what you did wrong and what you should do next time. Is that clear?" Gibbs watched, inwardly smiling as Ziva fought hard to find a loophole in his reasoning. When none came, she sighed and nodded her head.

"Words Ziver."

"Yes, Gibbs." She sighed again and slumped back into the chair. "Are you going to start the timer again?" She asked.

"Not this time, but now you know the rules, next time I will." He left her there and headed back into the kitchen. Glancing at the timer, he noted there was still a minute thirty-six left. He never knew five minutes could take so long.

Finally the buzzer sounded. Gibbs got up and went into the living room to see Ziva walking away from the chair. "Hey, you don't move until I tell you to," he growled. She cautiously walked backwards and plopped herself down again, keeping her eyes on him the whole time.

Once again, Gibbs crouched down in front of her. "So, why did I put you in time out Ziver?"

Resisting the urge to give a smart ass response, Ziva replied, "Because I hurt Tony."

"And why did you hurt him?" Gibbs asked.

"Because he was annoying me and not letting me hit the ball." She squirmed in the chair.

"And…" prompted Gibbs.

"And I lost my temper and I didn't say I was sorry properly." Ziva parroted. She looked down into her lap.

"Right. So what can you do next time instead?" Gibbs lifted her chin so she was looking directly at him.

"I can ignore him and walk away," she replied. Then added in her head 'and kill him later when you're not looking!'

"Or," Gibbs added, "come and see me and it will be him in timeout and not you."

"That," she said emphatically "is a much better idea!"

"Go," he ordered, shaking his head and suppressing a smile as Ziva slipped passed him and headed into the kitchen.

**Thanks for reading.**

**Just a quick point. Gibbs still sometimes falls into the trap of calling Tony 'DiNozzo' more as a reaction to when Tony is giving a smart alec response and acting more like the adult he used to be. I also feel that, even as a ten year old, Tony would still call Gibbs 'Boss', as a nickname. 'Dad' would just feel wrong and too familial at this point in their relationship. However, I can easily see Ziva soon adopting the term 'Daddy' or 'Abba' as she so desperately wants a loving father figure, and being smaller, it is easier for her to fall into that role. Just my thoughts. :)**


	6. Mayhem and Memories

**Author's Note**

**In my story Gibbs' house has 3 bedrooms; his, what was Kelly's and a spare. At this early stage I don't feel Gibbs is ready to give up Kelly's room just yet, so therefore I have Tony and Ziva sharing what was once the spare room. They share comfortably as adults and therefore I don't think there would be any problems as children.**

**To NCIS Fan – Sorry I can't respond to you personally, but yes, in Australia we called it Totem Tennis but that is exactly what I had in mind. As someone who is only 4ft11, I also can totally relate to the frustrations of this game and is why I added it into the story. There were many times I also found myself in trouble for doing the exact same thing Ziva did in a moment of sheer frustration – lol!**

**To guest – Ingrid – Chapter 7 will see a fun father/son moment between Gibbs and Tony (I'm a few chapters ahead – lol) I feel that Gibbs would struggle more coping with Tony than he would with Ziva. As I've said before, Gibbs is a chauvinist and has always treated the boys harsher than the girls. The dynamic between Tony and Gibbs has always been one of 'tough love' and sarcasm especially in the earlier seasons. Because I've written Tony as a ten year old, and let's face it, he acts like a 10 year old most of the time as an adult anyway, I feel that the constant smart ass comments, sarcasm and 'tough love' would naturally continue. His personality really isn't that much different from the adult Tony. That been said, Chapters 8 and 9 will see Gibbs gain a better understanding of what Tony needs and the dynamics will change to a degree.**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 6 - Mayhem and Memories

The next time Gibbs looked at his watch it was just before 6pm. He had decided to do some sorting in the spare bedroom that Tony and Ziva were now sharing in order to give them more space to move about. Gathering packing boxes of old memories, he had shifted some of them to his room but most of them had been carted down to the basement. Despite knowing that some of the boxes contained old toys or books belonging to Kelly, he wasn't ready just yet to either see them again or to have another child play with them. Besides, he wasn't even sure what cognitive levels either Tony or Ziva now possessed. Were they still capable of reading at an adult level? Did their minds still need adult challenges? He would have to explore those theories later.

As he passed the living room for the fourth time that afternoon carrying his last load of boxes for the basement, he noticed Tony was now glued to the television watching some late Saturday afternoon cartoons. He did consider that maybe they had regresses cognitively as well, but then realised with a chuckle, Tony had probably never out grown watching cartoons.

"Where's Ziva?" he asked looking directly at Tony,

Without shifting focus from the screen Tony replied, "In the kitchen."

Going into the kitchen, Gibbs dumped the boxes he was carrying on the table and saw that Ziva had found some paper and a pen and was intently focused on what she was writing. Craning his neck he tired to see what was written to ascertain what level of writing skills she still possessed. The writing, although a little bigger than normal due to her smaller hands, was not much different to her adult script. What made him laugh though was the title;

_Ways to kill, torture or otherwise annoy Tony_

He didn't get chance to see what devious and heinous acts she had managed to scribble down though, as, realising he was there, Ziva drew the paper close to her chest and covered it saying, "This is private Gibbs!"

"Yeah, well you might wanna think carefully before you act on any of those things Miss David." Gibbs suggested as he picked up the boxes and headed to the basement stairs.

"Pfft," huffed Ziva and Gibbs grinned.

On entering the kitchen again, he noticed Ziva had folded the piece of paper and was putting it in the back pocket of her jeans. He decided not to mention it again, unless of course she decided to act upon any of her suggestions. Instead he turned to her and said, "Bath time kiddo!" She simply nodded her head and made her way out of the kitchen and into the living room. As she headed up the stairs, Gibbs turned to Tony and asked, "Bath or shower?"

"Neither," replied Tony still fixated on the TV.

Gibbs followed Ziva up the stairs and called back over his shoulder. "Choose DiNozzo, or I'll choose for you. You've got about ten minutes."

Tony rolled his eyes and continued watching the cartoon.

On entering the room she shared with Tony, Ziva looked around. "This looks wonderful Gibbs. There is much more room than before."

She went over to the closet and opened the doors, taking note that her clothes were hanging on the left. Turning around, she saw Gibbs standing in front of a chest of drawers. He pointed down and explained that the bottom two drawers had her clothes in them. Opening the bottom drawer she saw it contained underwear and sleepwear whilst the drawer above it held t-shirts and sweaters. She ran a finger gently over one of the sparkly t-shirts, touching the embroidered flower on the front. "Thank you Gibbs," she whispered, and then looked up to meet his eyes.

"Not a problem Kiddo," replied Gibbs. "Now, how 'bout you pick out something to sleep in and I'll get the bath running?" He left the room while Ziva opened the bottom drawer again and chose a pair of purple pyjamas with a myriad of colourful puppies on them.

Holding them close to her chest, she ventured into the bathroom and looked shyly up at Gibbs. Gibbs grinned as he guessed what was worrying her. "Don't worry Kid. Thankfully you're old enough and big enough to get yourself bathed and dressed. I'm just filling it so it's the right temperature for you."

His grinned widened when he heard her let out a huge sigh of relief.

Once the bath was filled, Gibbs turned the tap water to cold and let it run for a second or two so as to cool down the spout. He then headed out the door saying, "Use the bath mat when you get out Ziver, so you don't slip."

"Yes Gibbs," he heard her reply as he shut the door.

Heading down the stairs, he deliberately stood between Tony and the TV to get the boy's attention. "Shower or bath?" he asked again.

"Shower," replied Tony sullenly.

"Good. Ya got five minutes." And he left again, heading back upstairs to keep an ear out for Ziva.

He sat outside the bathroom door with his back against the wall and listened as Ziva splashed about and sang to herself. Not recognising the words or the tune, he concluded it must have been some Hebrew song she had learnt. Again, he was reminded forcibly of another little girl splashing about in the bath. He remembered making the mistake when she was, in her words, 'almost six' - she had in fact only been three months past her fifth birthday, of walking into the bathroom to help her out only to have her yell indignantly "Daddy, I can do it myself!" He smiled at the memory, thinking then how grown up he thought she was becoming. If only she had had the chance to really grow.

He was pulled from his reverie when he heard the water gurgling down the plug. "Use the bath mat Ziva," he called out to her.

"Yes Gibbs!" he heard her reply impatiently. "I am not a child!" He smirked, getting up from the floor. Then grimaced as his knees creaked in protest.

Walking to the top of the stairs, he called down. "Shower, Tony. TV off," and was pleased when he heard the set being switched off and Tony's footsteps as he mounted the stairs.

Leading Tony into the bedroom, he heard him let out a low whistle and say, "Cool Boss, might even be able to play a little one on one in here." He turned to see Tony miming the act of bouncing a basketball and shooting it into an imaginary hoop.

"Don't count on it DiNozzo!" he replied dryly.

After showing Tony where his clothes were and which drawers were his, he headed out and met Ziva in the hall. Standing in her purple pyjamas, the majority of her hair damp and frizzing around her shoulders, Gibbs found himself unable to acknowledge the continual flow of memories that surfaced, and swallowing them down, along with the lump in his throat, he smiled at Ziva. "Hey there," he commented as she looked up. "All done?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Whoa! Cute jammies Zee-vah," teased Tony as he bumped into her coming out of the bedroom. "So my scary Mossad officer, how many assassins have ya taken down in those huh?" He moved forward ready to enact a ninja-like move, when Ziva suddenly grabbed his arm and, catching him unprepared, managed to twist him around and level him to the floor. He squealed like a girl, finding himself face-down with Ziva sitting on his back. She leant into his ear and said quietly, "I started my training when I was five Tony. You might want to remember that!"

As he squeaked in pain, Ziva stood up and, going into their bedroom, she shut the door behind her.

"Finished eatin' the carpet there DiNozzo?" asked Gibbs from where he stood in the hall.

"Did you just see what she did Boss?" questioned Tony incredulously as he rose to his feet and gingerly felt his arm for any injuries.

"Yep," replied Gibbs,

"You gonna do anything about it?"

"Nope," answered Gibbs.

"Typical!" huffed Tony as he stomped into the bathroom and shut the door.

While Tony was in the shower, and Gibbs made a mental note to put a timer in there, McGee and Abby arrived. Once again Gibbs was baffled at the skills Tim possessed as he watched him, in just under fifteen minutes, set up a TV, a DVD player, a computer and lay out a variety of handheld "gaming thingos" as Gibbs liked to call them. "This one," explained Tim excitedly as he held up a grey rectangular piece of plastic with a screen and a couple of buttons, "is the latest Nintendo DS. It's a great system Boss and I think both Tony and Ziva will enjoy playing with it."

"Whatever McGee. If it keeps them outta trouble I'm all for it." Abby just grinned as she listened to Gibbs while she and Ziva sat on the couch flicking through the DVD choices they had brought.

Gibbs looked upwards and, with a frustrated shake of his head, climbed halfway up the stairs.

"Tony!" he bellowed.

"Yeah Boss," came a muffled reply.

"You stuck in the drain or something?"

"What Boss?" came a confused answer.

"Get outta the shower now!" yelled Gibbs

"Oh, Ok. On it"

Gibbs heard the taps being turned off. "Finally!" he muttered as he strode back into the kitchen and grabbed himself a beer from the fridge.

A few minutes later, Tony wandered into living room wearing a pair of blue pyjamas and scrubbing his wet hair with a towel. He stopped short when he saw the new additions.

"Oh wow!" he exclaimed. "This is great!" Spotting the large flat screen television, he ventured closer for a better look. "Hey that TV looks just like mine."

"That's because it is yours Tony," McGee answered distractedly. He was supposedly showing Ziva how to use the DS, but, as yet, she hadn't even laid hands on the game.

"Hey!" shouted Tony, forcing McGee to look up and take notice of what was happening around him. "Who said you could go into my apartment McKlepto?"

"I did!" answered Gibbs peering out from the kitchen. "I can also ask him to take it all back if you'd rather?"

"Ahh no, that's ok. Now that it's here I guess I can make use of it," back peddled Tony, realising that that life would be far more entertaining with some of his things from home. He wandered into the kitchen, towel over his head and asked, "What's for dinner Boss, I'm starving."

"You're always starving," replied Gibbs. He grabbed the towel from Tony's head and glared down into the young boy's face. "What the hell were doing in that shower Tony? You were nearly thirty minutes under the water."

Tony raised his eyebrows and grinned up at Gibbs.

"Knock it off DiNozzo, you're ten years old for crying out loud!"

"If you must know," began Tony slowly, "I was washing my hair." Gibbs maintained a steely glare as Tony spoke. "And I gotta tell ya Boss, you have seriously got to reconsider the brand of shampoo you use. I mean, I know you're a bit lacking in that department but, come on, that stuff was like pouring solvent cleaner on my head." Tony suddenly stopped and frowned, running his fingers through his wet hair. "Ahh, it er…wasn't solvent cleaner, was it Boss?" Raised eyebrows now accompanied the steely glare. "No, of course it wasn't." Tony slowly edged backwards out of the kitchen. "Right then, well I'll just be heading back upstairs to run a comb through this lot. Ciao." As he turned to make a quick exit, he felt the wet towel slam against the back of his head. Grabbing it, he scarpered away calling "Thank you Boss" as he did so.

Abby wandered into the kitchen and helped Gibbs put out the containers of food along with plates and cups.

"Any word from Ducky?" Gibbs asked her as he began spooning rice onto the plates.

"No. He said it could be a couple of days before he hears anything. So I guess you get to play 'Papa Gibbs' for a bit longer. Pretty cool huh?" She grinned at him.

"Don't think those two would agree with ya Abs." he stated matter-of-factly.

"So," she began gingerly. "How did things go today?"

"Well, Tony nearly choked on a pizza, Ziva threw a tantrum in the car park, Tony's nose was almost broken and Ziva dropped him on his ass in the hallway upstairs. It's been a great day Abs. Next question?" His sarcasm was noted.

"Aw Gee, I miss all the fun," she smiled cheekily then called out. "Food's up. Come and get it!"

She jumped aside as Tony nearly bowled her over running to the table. "Make a hole, hungry pre-teen coming through!" He sat at the table and eyed the plates hungrily. Gibbs placed a small serve in front of him.

Tony looked at it baffled. "Is that it Boss?" he asked incredulously. "Come on, I'm a growing boy!"

"Yeah with a stomach that's half the size it was yesterday." Gibbs reasoned. "Eat what's on your plate and, if you're still hungry you can have more."

Tony shrugged and moved to grab some cutlery finding only a set of chopsticks before him. He sighed and then made a big show of scraping his chair back and leaving the table.

"Now, where are you going?" Gibbs asked, frustration evident in his voice.

"Chill, Boss. I'm just getting a fork. I struggle enough to use those things when I'm an adult."

Gibbs nodded. "Get one for Ziver too," he conceded.

_ -NCIS_-NCIS__-NCIS__-NCIS__-NCIS__-NCIS__-NCIS__-NCIS__-NCIS__-NCIS__-NCIS-__

With the containers emptied and the plates neatly stacked on the sink, Gibbs suggested that Abby put on a movie while he washed the dishes.

"Yes!" shouted Tony punching the air. "I vote for Braveheart." Then putting on his best Mel Gibson impersonation he turned to Abby and, raising his fist in the air, shouted. "They may take away our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!" Keeping his fist raised, he headed for the DVD collection.

"Pick something else DiNozzo," called out Gibbs

"What! Why?" he exclaimed.

"It's not suitable. Pick something else," repeated Gibbs.

"I don't wanna watch anything else," he whined, stomping to the couch.

"Fine, then go to bed," suggested Gibbs calmly. He was shocked at how quickly Tony had shifted from being rational and 'adult' into what he was seeing before him. It was almost like the words 'no' or, in this case, 'pick something else', triggered an internal button, switching Tony into a pouting and defiant child.

Confirming Gibbs analysis, Tony, sitting with his arms crossed, glared at the older man with what could only be described as 'the evil eye' and shouted, "I don't wanna go to bed! I wanna watch Braveheart!" He then began grumbling and muttering under his breath while kicking his legs against the foot of the sofa.

Putting down the tea towel he had been holding, Gibbs silently strode across the living towards Tony who, on seeing Gibbs approach him, had widened his eyes in panic and stammered, "Ok, Ok, I'll pick something else. You don't have to do this."

As Gibbs reached out to take Tony's arm, the boy flinched, drawing up his knees and covering his head. Gibbs stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the cringing child in front of him. Crouching down to Tony's level, he gently said, "I'm not gonna hit you Tony. I was just going to take you into another room so we could have a talk."

Tony looked up warily. "Yeah, my Dad called it 'talking' too? It usually ended up with me not being able to sit for a while."

Gibbs closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What was it with these two and fathers who freely doled out violence as a means of gaining obedience and control? Although Tony rarely spoke of his father, from the odd stories the young man had passed off as 'funny', Gibbs knew that 'Senior' had been emotionally absent for much of Tony's life. It was sad to think he was also quick to 'lay down the law' when he had been around. Gibbs eyes softened and he gently laid a hand on Tony's pyjama clad knee. "Do you remember our chat this afternoon?"

Tony nodded.

"What did I say would result in a spanking?"

Tony thought. "Um…putting ourselves in danger and...um….." Tony looked up trying to remember. "Oh yeah, for deliberately disobeying you."

"And have you done either of those things?" Gibbs asked,

"Well no, not really," Tony answered relaxing a little as he unfolded his body.

"What have you done?" urged Gibbs.

"Ahh…kinda pitched a fit I guess," Tony replied obviously embarrassed by his behaviour.

"No 'kinda' about it," smirked Gibbs. "I'll admit, it wasn't the smartest move, but it's not something you need to be spanked for. I was going to suggest you sit in your room for ten minutes while you decide whether you want to watch a movie with us or go to bed." He looked into Tony's green eyes. "But maybe you've already reached a decision?" Gibbs raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Tony's head gave a minuscule nod. "I'd like to watch the movie."

"Good decision!" said Gibbs patting Tony on the leg and standing up. "But I think Ziva can choose what we watch, don't you?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "I guess," he conceded.

In the end, Tony was quite happy with Ziva's choice of Madagascar and they settled down to watch, both children sitting on the couch with Abby between them. About twenty minutes into the movie, Gibbs could see Ziva's eyes were beginning to droop. Catching her attention, he crooked his finger beckoning her to come to him. When she did, he whispered, "Can you go and get your brush for me so I can brush out these tangles? Otherwise, it's going to be harder in the morning." She nodded and headed upstairs.

Having experienced first-hand, the excruciating task of listening to a sobbing and pleading child while trying to brush out the knots created when wet hair has dried overnight, he had no desire to repeat this with Ziva. Padding back to him with brush in hand, he turned her so she could watch the movie and began dragging the brush gently through the fine curls.

As Gibbs brushed rhythmically, Ziva began to lean into him and, without realising it, was soon perched on his lap while he finished the task. When he put the brush down, he noticed she didn't move away, and so he wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her with him as he leaned back into his chair. She shuffled slightly, still focused on the movie, and nestled into his chest, her legs curled up into his lap. As he kissed the top of her head, he tried desperately to concentrate on the movie and not let his mind wander to another little girl who used to cuddle on his lap during family movie nights.


	7. Puzzles, Playgrounds and Pranks - Oh My!

**AN - Thanks again for all the favs, follows and reviews - you guys are awesome!**

**A little bit of fun - enjoy**

Chapter 7 – Puzzles, Playgrounds and Pranks, Oh My!

"Stop it Tony!"

"I only want to see what ya doing!"

"It's private. Now go AWAY!"

Gibbs suddenly became aware of voices arguing as he slowly rolled over and squinted at the clock. 05.10! What the hell were they doing up so early. He rolled back and closed his eyes, hoping he had only imagined the argument.

"It's my room too Zee-vah!"

Nope, he hadn't imagined it. Dragging himself up, he padded into the bedroom up the hall.

"Do you two have any idea what time it is?" he grumbled as he entered the room. Ziva was sitting cross-legged on the floor in the corner of the room, her back to the door and huddled over something she was hiding from Tony. He was standing behind her obviously trying to figure out what she was doing.

Both children looked up as he spoke.

"Around zero five hundred," replied Ziva matter-of-factly.

"Five ten to be exact Ziva," retorted Gibbs. "And it's Sunday morning. Why are you up so early?"

"This is not early Gibbs. I am always up at this hour." She turned back to whatever it was she had been doing.

"She woke me Boss," interjected Tony, not wanting to be in trouble so early in the day. "I don't normally rise before ten on a Sunday." He added for good measure.

Hearing a distinctive slicing sound coming from the direction of Ziva's back, Gibbs' curiosity was also awakened.

"What are you doing Ziver?" he asked strolling over to her.

Hunching over her activity, Ziva replied, "Nothing Gibbs."

Suddenly suspicious of her feigned innocence, he responded, "Doesn't sound like nothing to me. Come on, let's see it."

Rolling her eyes in frustration, Ziva held up, in her left hand, a few pieces of rope for him to see.

"It's just rope!" she stated.

His attention however, was drawn to her right hand which was stuffed in her lap obviously hiding something else.

"Other hand?" he demanded.

He watched as she drew her knees together and slowly lifted her empty right hand for him to see.

"See it's nothing," but he couldn't help noticing she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Stand up!" he ordered.

This time she did look up at him. "Why Gibbs?" she asked.

"Up!" he repeated.

Huffing with annoyance, Ziva slowly stood. As her bottom lifted he could clearly see the sharp kitchen knife and odd remnants of rope sitting in the space where her lap had previously been.

"Shit Ziva! Is that a knife!" exclaimed Tony, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Turning sharply to the boy on his right, Gibbs admonished, "What have I told you about language Tony?"

"Sorry Boss, it just escaped. It won't happen again, I promise," Tony babbled.

"No, it won't!" replied Gibbs. He maintained eye contact with the boy until Tony looked away. Then, turning back to Ziva he asked, "Would you care to explain why you have a knife in your possession Miss David and what you were planning on doing with it?"

To her credit, unlike Tony, Ziva held her gaze with Gibbs and answered, "I was making a set of rope handcuffs to use on Tony when he annoys me." She shifted her gaze to Tony who, in turn, pulled a face and poked out his tongue. Smiling smugly, she looked back at Gibbs.

"And the knife?" he asked

"I could not find any scissors," she answered confidently. "Besides Gibbs, I was remembering rule nine."

Gibbs was amazed by her audacity. As was Tony who was visibly cringing in the background waiting for the fireworks to begin.

Taking a deep, calming breath Gibbs answered steadily, "Rule nine begins when you're twelve."

"Oh, I did not know that," she replied with an air of innocence. "I will remember that in future." And, without a second glance at either of them, she turned on her heel and headed out the door.

Gibbs stood there dumbfounded. Had he seriously just been outwitted by a five year old, albeit a five year old with the mental capacity of a 28 year old? He bent down to retrieve the knife from the floor and had to smile to himself. He admired her guts and imagined, with her stubbornness and determination, she would have been a challenging child to raise. Still, he liked challenging kids. Heck, he liked DiNozzo didn't he? But he couldn't help thinking what Ziva's life may have been like, had she been able to experience a stable, loving upbringing rather than the volatile and detached existence she had been subjected to.

Turning to Tony who was still looking rather stunned at what had just transpired, he asked, "You coming down for some breakfast? Looks like our day is starting early." Knife in hand, Gibbs headed out the door.

"On your six Boss," replied Tony following behind.

On entering the kitchen, Gibbs found Ziva sitting at the table waiting for him, her legs swinging under the chair. Giving her a look which clearly said, "I'm on to you young lady," he replaced the knife back in the drawer and turned on the coffee machine. "Breakfast Ziva?" he asked her.

"Yes thank you. I was waiting for you to get down the box of cereal. I wouldn't want to fall and hurt myself," she replied haughtily.

"Don't push it young lady," Gibbs growled. "I know, that you know, having that knife was wrong. Otherwise you wouldn't have tried to hide it from me."

"I was hiding the rope," she argued. "I did not want Tony to see what I was making."

"Well, you have just used your one and only 'get out of jail free' card. So enjoy it." Gibbs turned and opened one of the bottom cupboards. "I moved some stuff around last night. You'll find the cereal, along with some other things you may want, in these bottom cupboards."

Struck by his kindness, she looked up at him, "Thank you Gibbs," she replied genuinely touched. Then, looking down into her lap, she added, "I apologise. You are right. I did know it was wrong to have the knife." She looked up at him gauging his reaction.

"I know," he answered. "And, like I said, you've just used your one freebie."

"Hey, does that mean I have a freebie to use as well?" piped up Tony grabbing the box of cereal from the cupboard and taking it to the table. "'Cause, you know, that'd only be fair," he added.

"How do you know you haven't already used it, DiNozzo?" suggested Gibbs.

Opening his mouth to protest, he frowned and closed it again trying to figure out whether there was some truth to what Gibbs had said. Shaking his head in bewilderment, he gave up on the idea and decided instead to just pour the cereal.

With breakfast over and the dishes cleared, Ziva decided to make a start on one of the jigsaws Abby had brought around the previous evening. There were several to choose from, ranging from simpler puzzles that contained 500 pieces right up to a 2,000 piece puzzle of a European castle built on the side of a hill. Gibbs watched as Ziva carefully looked at them all, deciding eventually on a 1,000 piece puzzle depicting a mother Labrador sitting in a back doorway, while five puppies gambolled around her. Opening the box, she tipped the pieces onto the table.

"Mind if I help Ziva?" asked Tony

Without answering, she made room for him at the table and the two of them worked together to turn all pieces face up.

Seeing this as an opportunity to work in his basement, Gibbs said, "I'll be in the basement if you need me. Try not to kill each other."

Ziva rolled her eyes while Tony, smirking, replied, "What do ya think we are Boss, kids or something?"

As Gibbs headed down the stairs, he called back, "Always DiNozzo, always!"

Gibbs managed to put in a good couple of hours on his boat before the call for coffee drew his attention back to the world upstairs. It was very quiet. He concluded they had either managed to kill each other after all, or were in fact actually getting along for once. Curiosity getting the better of him, he put the sander down and took off up the stairs, pulling the light cord as he went.

In the kitchen he found Ziva kneeling on a kitchen chair, head bent over the puzzle in deep concentration. The outside edges had been completed and she was now working on a section that looked like the wood panelling of the back door.

"Hey there," he said, running his hand down her head and resting it on her back. "How's it going?"

"Fine," she answered. "I have finished the outside edge."

"Yeah, it's coming along well," he praised. Looking up, he asked, "Where's Tony?"

"In there," she pointed into the living room. Gibbs rubbed her back gently and moved away towards the next room. There he found Tony sprawled on the couch fast asleep. He turned back to look at Ziva. "How long's he been asleep?" he asked.

She shrugged and said, "He left just after we turned all the pieces the right way. So, probably two hours?" She found a piece and snapped it in place.

Deciding Tony had probably slept long enough, Gibbs crouched down and gently shook his shoulder.

"Time to wake up, Tony." There was no response. Another shake. "Tony!" When that still didn't elicit any response he tried, "Re-runs of Magnum on TV!"

Tony's eyes shot open. "What? Where?" Looking around he noticed the television screen was blank. "That's mean, Boss," he said narrowing his eyes at Gibbs.

"Yeah?" questioned Gibbs as he stood up. He shrugged dismissively. "It was."

Rubbing his eyes, Tony stifled a yawn and asked, "What time is it?"

"08.40," replied Gibbs. "Time you two were dressed and ready."

Tony eyed him suspiciously. "Ready for what?" he queried.

"I thought we might go to the park. Shoot a few hoops, play some catch, get some fresh air?"

"Are we allowed to have our guns?" asked Ziva incredulously looking up from her puzzle. "I would not have thought that was allowed"

"It's not," replied Gibbs, stunned that she should ask the question in the first place. "Why would you think that?"

"You just said we were going to shoot hoops. Although why we would want to shoot hoops does not make any sense to me at all." She reached for a puzzle piece and tried to match it with another, putting back when it didn't fit.

"He was talking about basketball Zee-vah," replied Tony rolling his eyes. When she still looked confused he elaborated. "When you throw the ball through the hoop and score a goal, it's called 'shooting a hoop'."

"Why?" she asked, searching for another puzzle piece to fit in.

"It just is Ziver," replied Gibbs a little impatiently. He strode around the table and, holding her under the arms, lifted her out of the chair and deposited her on the floor.

"Gibbs!" she cried indignantly. "I am quite capable of getting myself down from the chair!"

"Are you?" he questioned, smirking at her outrage. "I'll have to remember that for next time." He clapped his hands briskly. "Come on. Both of you upstairs and get dressed so we can get going."

Tony sprang from the couch yelling as he ran up the stairs, "Bags the bathroom first!"

Seeing Ziva still glaring at him with her little arms crossed over her chest, Gibbs mimicked her stance and teased, "Come on, Little Miss Independence! Wipe that look off your face and hurry up and get dressed." He grabbed her around the middle and began tickling her ribs. She squealed with laughter shouting, "Don't!" as he chased her up the stairs.

By 9.30, Tony and Ziva were dressed and ready to face the day. With clean teeth and brushed hair, Gibbs told them to wait by the front door while he dashed into the kitchen and grabbed some apples and bottled water to take with them. As he returned to the entry, he noticed Tony holding a large bag containing, he assumed, an assortment of bats and balls he'd asked him earlier to choose from the shed. Peering into the bag he was impressed with how many the boy had managed to find.

"Good job Tony," he praised as he opened the front door.

"Huh?" replied Tony confused.

"The stuff," he said, indicating the bag. "You did a good job collecting what we might need."

"Oh, um…thanks?"

On noticing how uncomfortable Tony was accepting praise, Gibbs made a mental note to ensure he did it more often. It worried him to think that Tony didn't feel appreciated or worthwhile and, once again, Gibbs found himself inwardly angry at the upbringing these two had endured.

Leading them into the driveway, Gibbs reached the car and, opening Ziva's door, he waited for her to climb in. He didn't miss the disdainful look she gave the car seat. However, she didn't complain and climbed up allowing Gibbs to buckle her in. As he leant over to snap the buckle, he whispered, "Thank you," to her. She looked at him, surprised by his words and flushed with pleasure. Smiling he kissed the top of her head. Looking over, he watched as Tony fastened his seat-belt. "You in, Tony?" he asked and Tony nodded. Closing Ziva's door, he climbed into the driver's side and said, "Right then, let's go!"

Five minutes into the trip, Tony, who was staring intently out of the window, suddenly asked, "Which park are we going to Boss? I thought we'd go to the one by the river?"

"We are," replied Gibbs,

Tony turned and looked at the back of Gibbs' head. "Er, I know your eyesight isn't great Boss, but that park's in the other direction."

"Yep," acknowledged Gibbs. "Goin' somewhere else first."

"Oh-Kay," Tony stretched out the word. Frowning he looked questioningly at Ziva. She simply shrugged and turned back to look out her window.

As the car turned towards Georgetown and the streets became more residential, Tony figured out where the 'somewhere else' was.

"Meeting someone are we Boss?" he asked innocently.

Gibbs ignored him, keeping his eye on the traffic.

"I think you'll find you'll need to make a right at the next set of lights," Tony suggested, maintaining his innocence.

"I know where I'm going DiNozzo," growled Gibbs.

"Just checking. Wouldn't want fer ya to get lost."

He grinned at Ziva who frowned and silently mouthed '_Where are we going_?'

'_Director Shepherd's_' he mouthed back.

Ziva's lips formed a perfect circle as she mouthed '_oh_' and nodded, suddenly comprehending. The two of them giggled.

"You two quite finished back there?"grumbled Gibbs.

"Yes, I think so," replied Ziva and the two of them collapsed into sniggering giggles again.

As they pulled outside of the Director's Townhouse, Gibbs stopped the car and got out his cell. Pressing the speed dial he waited for a response. After the fourth ring, he heard her answer, "Morning Jethro."

"Jen," he greeted. "Want to come to the park with us?" he asked getting straight to the point.

"Yes, I'm well thank you, Jethro," she replied sarcastically. "And how are you on the fine Sunday morning?"

"Huh?" he barked.

She sighed into the speaker. "Nothing, forget it. The park sounds great. Can you pick me up on the way?"

"Sure can," he responded cheerfully.

"Great, what time?" she asked, wondering what she should wear.

"Oh, in about 30 seconds,"

"What? Where are you?" she exclaimed.

"Out front, kids are in the back." He smiled at her obvious discomfort. He loved catching her out.

"Bit presumptuous of you," she commented. "What if I'd made plans for the day?"

"But ya haven't have you?" he argued.

"Yes, but I might ….oh never mind." He smiled as he listened to the frustration in her voice. "Give me five and I'll meet you out the front."

The phone clicked and Gibbs returned his cell to his pocket chuckling to himself. He loved riling her up. She bit so easily.

Gibbs watched as Jenny, in blue jeans, white blouse and green sweater, shut the front gate and crossed the road to reach the car. Her signature high heeled boots clipped the road as she walked. Opening the car door and sliding in, she ignored Gibbs' smirk and turned to the back saying. "How are you two this morning?"

"Great," replied Tony

"Fine," answered Ziva. "And you, Director Shepherd?"

"I'm well thank you Ziva,"

She turned to face Gibbs. "And that Jethro, is the gentle art of conversation. You should try it sometime."

"Nah," he snorted. "Too many words Jen."

"Of course there are." She rolled her eyes while putting on her seat belt. Tony and Ziva grinned as the engine started up.

On reaching the park, everyone clambered out of the car and headed towards a picnic table near the playground. After depositing the water, apples and equipment, Gibbs called Tony and Ziva to him.

"Ok, anywhere inside this fenced boundary is allowed." He pointed to the various areas as he spoke. "You've got the playground, basketball court and the playing field to explore. Outside the fence is off limits. Got it?"

"Got it Boss."

"Yes Gibbs."

"Good." Gibbs looked around. "So, where to first?" He could see Tony was eyeing off the basketball court. There were a couple of kids shooting hoops at one end of the court but the other end was free. "Wanna play some 'one-on-one' Tony," asked Gibbs.

"Thought you'd never ask Boss," replied Tony. He grabbed the basketball out of the bag and, bouncing it as he ran, headed over to the court and began practising.

"Ziver?" he asked looking at her.

"I'm going over there." She pointed to the playground with various swings, climbing equipment and a covered slide.

"I'll watch her," said Jenny as Ziva ran off.

Gibbs nodded then turned and jogged to the basketball court. As he strode up behind Tony, he reached around him, knocking the ball out of his grasp and began dribbling it to the sideline.

"Hey!" cried Tony indignantly, chasing him,

"Gotta be quick Tony," Gibbs laughed. Their game began in earnest.

Jenny followed Ziva and stood next to the dome climbing frame the little girl had managed to scale in less than ten seconds. She smiled at how supple Ziva was as she entwined her arms and legs through the many triangular poles making her way to the centre of the dome. Even as an adult, Ziva had a cat-like litheness that amazed Jenny. Reasonably fit herself, she was still no match for the flexibility of this young Mossad Officer. On reaching the top, Ziva stood up and surveyed her surroundings, her balance impeccable. Knowing the girl was quite capable, Jenny repressed the urge to tell her to 'be careful' and just watched as Ziva steadied herself, took a couple of deep breaths and then literally hopped from pole to pole down the side of the dome and, once reaching a height of three feet, sprang from the dome landing feet first on the soft fall, her hands supporting her body as they touched the ground. Standing up, Ziva wiped her hands on her jeans, smiled at Jenny and raced towards the covered slide. Exhaling the breath, she didn't realise she had been holding, Jenny shook her head in amazement and followed the streak of blue jeans and purple top to the next piece of equipment.

After about thirty minutes, Jenny noticed that Gibbs and Tony had made their way back to the picnic table and were each biting into an apple. She called out to Ziva and the little girl came running up to her, face flushed and eyes shining. "Did you see me jump from the top of the wooden fort?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes!" replied Jenny, through a stiffened smile, not wishing to elaborate more. In truth, she was waiting for her pulse-rate to slow down after watching Ziva take risk after risk. "Come on, let's go grab a snack." With boundless energy, Ziva raced off towards the picnic table with Jenny following behind.

"Having fun Zee-vah?" asked Tony as Ziva grabbed a bottle of water and began drinking greedily. She nodded, not taking a break from swallowing the cool water. With half the water already gone, she pulled the bottle from her mouth and began gasping for breath.

"Slow down Ziver, catch your breath." Gibbs said brushing her sweaty hair away from her face. "You look like you've run to the White House and back."

"No, but I'm sure she'd jump off it," replied Jenny dryly.

Gibbs gave her a quizzical look but she just shook her head dismissively.

The group fell into a contented silence as they munched on apples and enjoyed the warm breeze meandering lazily through the trees. As each apple core was tossed into the nearby bin, one by one they stretched out on the grass, enjoying the coolness of the ground in comparison to the warmth of the sun. Gibbs was laying on his back, eyes closed and hands clasped behind his head. Next to him Jenny sat, legs out-stretched, hands supporting her upper body as they leaned out behind her. Ziva, sitting crossed legged in front of Jenny, picked at the grass and tossed it into the air, watching as the breeze captured each blade and send it on a swirling journey eastward. Returning from putting his apple core in the bin, Tony looked for a place to lie down and soak up some sun. However, on seeing Gibbs stretched out so vulnerably, he was suddenly tempted to do something he would have normally considered suicidal. Grabbing Ziva's half finished bottle of water from the table, he hovered his hand precariously over Gibbs' face. Jenny caught his eye and gave him a look that clearly said, "Your life DiNozzo," whilst Ziva just narrowed her eyes, daring him to act upon this deliciously naughty deed.

Throwing all caution to the wind, Tony raised the bottle and tipped it horizontally. As if in slow motion, he watched each particle of clear liquid combine and gather speed, rushing to the opening like a tidal wave about to launch itself upon its hapless victim. Once freed from its plastic confines, the wave broke apart into many hundreds of droplets, each landing on Gibbs' face and bouncing upwards as if scorched by fire.

Gibbs shot up into a sitting position, his hands flying forward to protect his face from the watery onslaught. Opening his eyes, he focused on the perpetrator who, paralysed with the knowledge of what he had just done, stared back, mouth open and eyes wide. As Gibbs moved to stand however, self preservation took over and, dropping the bottle as if it were a murder weapon, Tony turned heel and ran.

Screaming with laughter, Jenny and Ziva watched as Gibbs easily caught up to the boy and, sweeping him up, grabbed him by his ankles, dangling him in the air like a sack of potatoes.

"Did you just tip water on me Tony?" asked Gibbs incredulously, as he headed back to Jenny and Ziva, bouncing Tony as he walked. "Did you seriously, just tip a bottle of water over my head?" More bouncing.

Between gasps and yells, Tony managed to splutter, "Only half Boss!"

Lifting him higher by the ankles, Gibbs reached down and began to tickle Tony mercilessly. "Oh, 'only half' he says." The tickling continued. "Only half? Well that makes it ok then doesn't it?"

"I thought so," gasped Tony, giggling and writing while Gibbs continued his attack.

Taking a seat on the picnic bench, Gibbs laid Tony upright over his lap and continued to tickle his ribs and belly barely giving the boy a chance to breathe.

Caught up in the excitement of the activity, Ziva leapt to her feet and offered assistance by removing Tony's shoes and starting in on his feet. Poor Tony was rendered helpless as the relentless torture continued. Finally, after realising the boy was probably about to be sick, Gibbs stopped the incessant torment. Noticing Ziva was not so forthcoming with any similar acts of compassion, Jenny reached forward and pulled her off Tony, placing the little girl on her lap and holding tightly as she struggled to get away.

For a while, the only sounds heard were the pants and wheezes coming from Tony as he tried desperately to catch his breath. Rolling over, he pushed himself in a sitting position next to Gibbs and, leaning his back against the older man for support, allowed his lungs to fill and expand with the sweet, life-giving air he could now inhale.

Gibbs wrapped his right arm around Tony's middle and pulled him closer. Using his left hand, he drew his fingers through the boy's hair, tilting his head backwards so that Tony was looking upside down into Gibbs' eyes.

"So Tony," he asked looking down into the flushed face. "Was it worth it?"

Grinning from ear to ear, Tony replied, "Oh yeah!"

**Please Review :)**


	8. I Don't Believe in Coincidences

**AN: Sorry, this is chapter is shorter than the precious ones, but I wanted it to stand alone in it's message.**

Chapter 8 – I Don't Believe in Coincidences.

Sitting on the grass cross legged, Jenny watched as Tony and Ziva played chasey around the playground equipment. Having recovered from the tickling torture, Tony had initiated a game of tag, by sneaking up on Ziva who had been lying face down on the grass after being released from Jenny's stronghold, and swatting her on the bottom yelling, "You're it!"

"Hey!" she yelled indignantly as Tony quickly ran off in the direction of the playground. She looked up at Jenny, "What am I?" she asked confused.

"You're 'it' Ziva. As in, you're the one who has to chase Tony and catch him. Once you do that, he becomes 'it' and chases you." Jenny explained.

"Oh, tofeset," Ziva said. Now it was Jenny's turn to look confused. "The Hebrew word for the game of catch." Ziva elaborated. "Well, we shall see who is the better player at this game." Brushing her hands as she stood up, Ziva took off after Tony who immediately shrieked and hid behind the covered slide.

"Jen," began Gibbs, who had joined her on the grass after grabbing a couple of coffees from the nearby stand. "How long did you and Ziva work together after 9/11?"

Still watching the playing children, Jenny replied, "On and off for four years. We were working anti-terrorism ops until I was offered the role here. Why?"

"Did she ever talk much about her childhood?"

Taking a sip of coffee, she thought for a minute and then answered, "No, not really. Maybe a couple of references here and there. Why? What's this about, Jethro?"

"Yesterday, after the car park incident, I sat them both down and talked about rules and consequences. Ziva's response was to ask me if I was going to 'beat' her for disobedience."

Jenny turned to face Gibbs directly and frowned. "Beat her?" she repeated.

"Yeah. When I asked her how she was punished as a child, she said her father would 'beat her with a rod'.

Jenny considered this then responded, "Different culture, different rules I guess."

"What you're condoning Eli's actions?" Gibbs asked incredulously.

"No, of course not Jethro," Jenny replied sharply. "I'm just saying, Israel is a whole different culture. Ziva was forced to grow up very quickly."

Yeah, you're not wrong there," Gibbs responded bitterly. "First time he 'forced her to grow up quickly' ", he sneered using her words back at her, "she was four years old!"

This time he was pleased to see the horrified look on Jenny's face.

"Exactly, and then had the audacity to call it a 'training exercise'. See how much pain she could take before she broke."

"Oh my God," Jenny blanched. She held her hand over her mouth as she felt the bile rise in her stomach. "That's just…" No words came to mind. Nothing, she thought, could excuse that kind of abuse.

As Gibbs saw her eyes fill with tears of compassion, he gently laid his hand on her shoulder and they sat in silence, each trying to comprehend this abhorrent act.

Finding her voice, Jenny said quietly. "She never told me anything like that. I knew he had trained her from a young age but she always seemed quite proud of her skills and confident in her abilities."

"I guess if you've never known anything different…" reflected Gibbs. He pulled his hand away from Jenny's shoulder and took a mouthful of coffee.

"I don't think Tony's fared much better in the father department either," he continued looking up to see, in the distance, the subject of his comment grab Ziva around the waist and begin spinning her while she giggle helplessly. He smiled at their antics.

"How so?" asked Jenny noticing the warmth in Gibbs' eyes as he watched the children play.

"He often makes joking references to being left in a hotel for days on end while 'Senior' was off doing God knows what, or being shunted from boarding school to summer camps, cut off from the family fortune at twelve. I think after his mother died, Tony's life became pretty unstable."

"When did she die?" asked Jenny.

"When he was eight. I think there were nannies and house staff to look after him at home for a couple of years. But it sounds like it got all too hard for his father and, around ten, he was sent off to boarding school to become someone else's problem."

"Kind of explains why he has commitment issues, doesn't it?" scoffed Jenny. "Sounds like no one was committed to him when he needed them the most."

Gibbs suddenly looked up, eyes alert, comprehension dawning on his face.

"What?" asked Jenny, looking at him intently.

"Yesterday, when Ziva dropped Tony in the hall, she said her training started when she was five. Tony was basically told he was 'not wanted' and shunted off to boarding school at the age of ten." Gibbs looked at Jenny. "Ok, I know that dart contained a random amount of serum, and Trentwood had no idea who Tony or Ziva were, but…." he trailed off.

"Yeah," concluded Jenny. "Hell of a coincidence wouldn't ya say." She laughed, thinking how Jethro felt about coincidences.

"But, like you said,' she continued, "Trentwood didn't know who Tony and Ziva were. And no," she iterated, seeing the raised eyebrow look she was receiving from her former partner, "I'm not about to conclude that this is some cosmic, universal coming together of destinies to right the injustice befallen these two. I'll leave that to Abby. That's more her style."

Gibbs laughed and Jenny swatted him on the arm.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"You're laughing at me," she grouched.

"I was not!" he defended. "I was actually laughing because for a minute there, I was heading down that same path."

"Oh." She rubbed his arm where she had hit him. "Sorry about that," she retracted.

"Yeah, so you should be," replied Gibbs, but he was smirking at her none the less.

"Still," Jenny mused, "It is er…. _interesting_ shall we say that both Tony and Ziva have been regressed to an age that was so pivotal in their childhoods. And, the fact that both of them had fathers who would never be in the running for 'Father of the Year'..." She stopped at this point, her sentence unfinished, and looked at Gibbs who was now staring meditatively across the ages of time. She placed her hand gently on his thigh.

"Jethro?" She called him back to the present and he looked at her. "Both Tony and Ziva see you as a father figure and have since they met you. I know Abby and McGee do as well to some extent, especially Abby, but, for Tony and Ziva, it's more than just having you as a father in their lives today. For them, it's a deep seated need. It's cathartic, healing. And it's obviously providing a love and stability neither of them ever experienced as a child. They don't just need you Jethro, they depend on you. Their very souls are grounded in the love you extend to them."

"Yeah, I get it Jen," replied Gibbs, rubbing his hand across his eyes and over the back of his head. "You're starting to sound like a new age 'self help book'."

She smiled at him. "Whatever works," she shrugged.

"The thing is, I never asked them to see me in that way. It's a hell of a responsibility."

"Jethro, you've been doing it for years, and doing a damn good job, I might add. The only difference now, is that you have the chance to really have an influence on their lives. Give them the second chance they both so desperately need."

She thought back to when Tony had dared to tip water on Gibbs and laughed. "If only you could have seen the look on Tony's face when you were rough housing with him earlier. It was pure elation. That kind of interaction isn't possible when he's an adult. He needs that strong role model and whether you want it or not, you're it Jethro. Make a difference in that boy's life while you can."

Gibbs sighed and took a sip of his coffee. He grimaced as he swallowed the now cold liquid and put the cup on the ground. "It's hard Jen, especially with Ziva." He looked up at her knowing she'd understand his meaning.

"Jethro, I can't even begin to imagine the pain of losing a child. Especially in those circumstances. But Ziva isn't Kelly and she never will be. She's not a replacement. She's a little girl who desperately needs you now. Sure, she's stubborn and strong willed. And she will continue to test you because, despite what she may say, she wants you to stand on the other side of that line, so that each time she sticks her toe over it, she can be assured that you are there every time to push it back, to question her, make her be accountable to herself and ensure that she becomes the best she can be."

"That easy hey?" replied Gibbs dryly.

"Yeah," Jenny nodded. "Actually, it is."

Gibbs took hold of Jenny hand and squeezed it. "Thanks Jen," he said.

She shifted her hand so that their palms met and fingers intertwined. "You'll be the best thing for these kids. I just know it." And, looking across the park to the two children now laying down side by side in the grass, pointing to the sky as they imagine pictures in the clouds, she added to herself, and they'll be the best thing for you.


	9. A World Fallen Apart

**AN – Angsty but necessary. Things will lighten up again in the next chapter.**

Chapter 9 – A world fallen Apart

Having dropped Jenny back at home, Gibbs turned to the two children in the back seat.

"Well seeing as we can't live on take-out forever…"

"Oh, I don't know Boss, you've turned out ok," Tony interrupted.

"I _think_," he drew out the word, glaring at Tony indicating he'd heard the smart ass response but was choosing to ignore it. "We should do some grocery shopping. You two up for a trip to the market?"

Seeing both children nod, he turned back to the front and pulled away from the kerb.

As he drove, Gibbs mentally prepared for the next hour or so. Grocery shopping with kids was going to be a whole new experience. Actually, if he were perfectly honest, grocery shopping period was a relatively rare experience, not that he was ready to admit that to DiNozzo. When Kelly had been around, Shannon had always done the weekly food shop during the day when he was working. It can't be that difficult, surely, he thought to himself.

On entering the large building, he conceded it could! Whether or not it was because he was now more aware of children, but the amount of kids he could see was daunting to say the least. Babies crying, toddlers screaming, children running up the aisles, his senses were assaulted by pint sized terrorists appearing from everywhere.

Seeing Gibbs' face pale at the sight, Tony reached up and patted him on the back. "It's ok Boss, it'll all be over soon."

"Yeah," was all Gibbs could say.

He grabbed a shopping cart and, taking a deep breath, headed purposefully towards the fruit and vegetable section. Trying to make this as painless as possible, he quickly snatched up pre-packed bags of potatoes, carrots, broccoli and corn and was just heading for the apples, when Ziva said, "Ooh Gibbs, can we have some asparagus, I can make us a lovely roasted asparagus and hazelnut side salad. And sugar peas," she gasped spotting the bright green vegetable. "Oh and kale and fennel."

Gibbs looked down at her and, not wanting to appear too dim-witted, rubbed his brow lightly and quietly asked, "You know how to cook these things?"

Ziva giggled and replied, "Yes Gibbs. Would you like me to pick some out?"

"Yeah, you do that."

"Who knew, hey Boss," said Tony watching Ziva as she chose a variety of green vegetables, then added capsicum and chilli peppers to her collection. "I thought peas only came frozen!"

As they made their way from aisle to aisle, he allowed Tony and Ziva to choose foods they were used to eating. Knowing he and Tony shared a similar comfort in simple cuisine, he realised having Ziva around, with her Jewish customs was going to be quite an education. He wondered what the people shopping around them thought as Ziva, looking every bit a five year old, would suddenly pipe up with comments such as, 'Let's have cauliflower couscous one night for dinner," or "Last week I had a fennel-orange salad with a lemon vinaigrette. It was very delicious."

He was also starting to feel rather uncomfortable with the looks some of the women in the store were giving him. Bending down to Tony, he whispered, "Why are these women staring at me?"

Tony grinned up at him and, maintaining the secrecy, whispered, "With the way Ziva is spouting forth all these exotic recipes, they're probably thinking you're this wonderful new age single dad who's a whiz in the kitchen. It's enough to turn any woman on, Boss. Play your cards right, you might met wife number five." He added cheekily.

Gibbs reached out and scrubbed Tony's hair roughly making the boy yell and run for cover.

After packing all the groceries in the trunk, Gibbs conceded the shopping hadn't been as horrific as he'd first thought. Although, after watching the way some children were behaving, he found himself very grateful for Ziva and Tony, and even more thankful that neither of them had suddenly morphed into their child-like counterparts, demanding candy or wanting rides on the many hideous, plastic machines that adorned the foyer.

Dinner was a relaxed affair. True to her word, Ziva did know how to cook the strange green plants Gibbs felt belonged more appropriately in the garden bed than his fridge. With a little assistance from him and Tony, and a well placed step stool, she had been in her element ordering them about and throwing together a meal he usually only ever saw in a fancy restaurant.

Once the table was cleared, carefully avoiding the puzzle which had been swept to the far end, and the dishes stacked, Tony decided to head upstairs for a shower.

"Five minutes Tony! Set the timer," Gibbs reminded him.

"Can't I make it ten?" he whined.

"You could make it three," suggested Gibbs.

"Five's good!" He turned and left the room.

Stretching, Ziva rose from the table and dragged her stool over to the sink ready to wash the dishes.

"I'll do 'em Zi. You cooked most of the dinner. I'll have Social Services on my doorstep accusing me of child labour."

She smiled.

"Today was fun. Thank you Gibbs." She unexpectedly wrapped her little arms around his middle and hugged him tightly. Reaching down to stroke her hair, he kissed the top of her head and replied, "Yeah, it wasn't too bad." He smiled as she skipped out the room.

And then, the bubble burst.

As he was putting away the last of the dishes, Gibbs heard the front door open and footsteps enter his house. The past thirty minutes had been spent reminding Tony how long five minutes actually was, getting Ziva through the bath and washing the pile of dishes that had been cluttering his bench. It was during this last task that his cell had rung. Appearing rather secretive, Ducky has simply asked if it were ok for him to 'pop around' for a while.

Placing the last fork in the drawer, Gibbs called, "Hey Duck! In the kitchen." When he wasn't greeted with the familiar, "Coming Jethro," he wandered out into the living room saying, "I've got your teapot out ready and the kettle's just b…." His words hung in the air as, on entering the room, he noticed Ducky wasn't alone. Standing next to him stood a very attractive woman Gibbs guessed to be in her early fifties. Petite and of European descent, her poise and elegance was something he'd come to expect from Ducky's lady friends.

"Ahh Jethro," began Ducky. "Let me introduce to you a very dear friend of mine, Brigitte LaRue."

Gibbs stepped forward and held out his hand, "Ms LaRue," he said.

"Brigitte, please," the woman replied, grasping Gibbs' hand and smiling warmly.

"Jethro," acknowledged Gibbs.

Looking at his friend, Gibbs waited expectantly for Ducky to elaborate.

"Yes," he flustered realising Gibbs was staring at him. "Brigitte and I met many years ago, when I was working in Paris as a medical examiner. We've kept in contact over the years." His last sentence was spoken while smiling down at the beautiful face next to him. Gibbs' eyes twinkled. Ducky certainly had taste.

As they made their way into the kitchen, Ducky continued. "I took the liberty last Friday, as you know, of entrusting Brigitte with the serum found in the darts you extracted from Trentwood's house. She has been working on them over the weekend." Ducky held out a kitchen chair for Brigitte and she seated herself at the table. He noticed the puzzle and smiled. "Ah Ziva's been busy I see." Looking around he added, "Where are Ziva and Anthony?"

"Upstairs," replied Gibbs pouring the boiling water into the teapot. Once filled, he replaced the kettle then turned to Brigitte. "Before we go any further, I think it's important that Tony and Ziva hear this. It's them that have to deal with it." He turned and made his way through the double doors, but was halted by the appearance of two little faces standing just off to the left.

"You don't have to sneak around," he said to them. "I was coming to get ya."

"Yeah, sorry Boss. We heard Ducky arrive and wasn't sure so…" Tony's words trailed off, embarrassed at being caught listening in.

Gibbs stood aside allowing Tony and Ziva to enter the room. Walking behind them, he ushered them to the table, pulling out a chair for Ziva and indicated they should both sit down. Turning to the woman opposite, Gibbs made the introductions. "Brigitte, this is Tony and Ziva. Guys, this is Brigitte LaRue, a friend of Ducky's." As the smiles and nods were exchanged and cups of tea place on the table, Gibbs sat down and, facing Brigitte asked, "So, I'm assuming you've found something?"

"Well, yes and no." She smoothed her skirt and continued. "The scientific make up of the serum is such that it has been almost impossible to separate and analyse."

"Almost?" questioned Gibbs.

"I have managed to identify two major elements. I won't go into the specifics as their names and compounds aren't relevant, but suffice to say," she paused, taking a deep breath before adding, "Unfortunately, these two key components cannot be reversed."

Tony and Ziva looked to each other, then away again, each trying desperately to make sense of what they had heard. "You mean…" began Tony slowly, "We're stuck like this forever?" He looked pleadingly from Ducky to Brigitte. "There has to be something you can do. There just has to be," he begged.

The fear and apprehension now visible on the children's faces, pushed Brigitte to a place of deep empathy. "I'm so sorry," she began, "I wish I could say I could make an antidote and fix this for you immediately. But, it's just not possible. However…" All eyes looked up, a sense of hope re-emerging. "I have discovered that the serum has a limited life. Once injected, the active ingredients immediately disburse inducing the regression, but, having done their job, they lay dormant and, in effect, 'wear off' over time."

Again, Tony was the first to speak. "Well, that's great then. So we'll turn back to normal?" Optimism oozed from every word he spoke.

"Theoretically, yes." She replied.

"Theoretically?" questioned Gibbs.

Brigitte looked at Gibbs. "The problem is, it's impossible to know how or when this process will occur. According to the journal, once this man had established a dose small enough to allow the mice to regress to a certain developmental stage without killing them, it was very difficult to determine what affects the serum may have had. While we found entries to indicate a re-growth had occurred sometime later, there was no mention of any cognitive or brain advancement." She paused. The intensity on the faces of the Gibbs, Tony and Ziva was almost tangible. They listened and held on to every word she spoke.

She took a deep breath. "What I am trying to say is, once the serum wears off, you will grow again physically but as to what effects it may have had, or will have, on your mental capacity that, I'm afraid, is unknown.

"So what you're saying," concluded Tony, "Is that I could end up looking like a 33 year old but acting like a ten year old?" It was of great testament to the seriousness of the situation, that no-one made comment to Tony's words. Jokes and teasing had been forgotten the minute the words "cannot be reversed" had been uttered.

Ziva, speaking for the first time, asked, "You said this serum has a life, yes?" Brigitte nodded. "So, when do you expect it to wear off? When will we grow again?"

"Again Ziva, I can't be sure," Brigitte replied apologetically. "I wish I could be more concise but Trentwood was so impatient to start using his concoction on human specimens, he really didn't take the time to finish his work on the animals. Data is erratic to say the least. All I have managed to narrow it down to, is it will happen somewhere between twelve and twenty-four months.

"Two years!" exclaimed Tony. "I, _we_, could be stuck like this for two years?"

"That's just an estimate based on the how the mice reacted," Brigitte reiterated. "It may only be twelve months. You and Ziva are the only adults to survive this, so you're a bit of an unknown I'm afraid."

"But the fact remains," surmised Ziva. "Whether it's twelve months or two years, it is not something that is going to be fixed quickly. And," she continued, "You have no idea what permanent damage we may be left with."

"I'm afraid not," said Brigitte sympathetically. "I wish I had better news for you." She picked up her tea and sipped slowly, as the devastating news filtrated through the people around her.

After a few minutes of silence, Tony stood. Not giving eye contact to anyone, he murmured, "I'm going to my room. I…I need time." He turned to leave, hesitated and then added, "Um…thanks Brigitte. I'm sorry… I ….I just can't deal with this at the moment… I'm sorry," And he was gone. Ziva, looking pale and lost, simply stood and left silently, following in Tony's wake.

'I'm so sorry Jethro," began Brigitte. "I truly wish I could have helped more."

Gibbs cleared his throat. "It's not your fault," he replied. "At least we know the growth regression isn't permanent. The rest we'll just have to deal with when, and if, it happens." He knew he was brushing them off. But the wave of nausea that threatened to break prohibited him from speaking further. Tony and Ziva's worlds had just been ripped out from under them. Right now, all he wanted was to make things right, but he knew that was impossible.

Ducky stood and placed his hand on Brigitte's shoulder. "I think maybe we should go my dear. Give Jethro some time to digest this news and discuss things further with Tony and Ziva."

"Yes, yes of course." Brigitte rose and, after placing her teacup in the sink, she held out her hand to Gibbs. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Jethro. I just wish it could have been under different circumstances."

Shaking her hand, Gibbs could only murmur, "Yes, me too."

"I'll let myself out Jethro," said Ducky patting Gibbs on the back. "Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah, thanks Duck."

As Ducky and Brigitte closed the front door behind them, Gibbs found himself reaching out and grabbing the kitchen bench for support. Leaning over the sink, having no clue what to do next, he gripped the sides of the bench and allowed the wave of nausea to finally break over him.

Upstairs in the smallest room off the hall, the warmth of the late afternoon sun streaming in through the bedroom window did nothing to alleviate the shivering of the small boy huddled on the bed. Having already grabbed a jumper, Tony was now wrapped tightly in a blanket sitting with his back against the wall, knees drawn up to his chest. It was obvious to any outsider, Tony was experiencing shock, but to the ten year old the only immediate action was to try and warm up. Upon hearing a sniffle from the doorway, he looked up. There stood Ziva, her face pale, eyes hollow and her arms wrapped around her body tightly. She looked so tiny and forlorn.

"Come 'ere," he said softly, opening the blanket for her to snuggle into. She didn't hesitate. Climbing on the bed, she huddled into Tony's side as he wrapped them both in the soft, woollen fibres. Resting his head on Ziva's, he listened to her gut-wrenching sobs and allowed himself the same indulgence. The traitorous sunlight continued to bathe the room in a warm orange glow but it was in stark contrast to the cold despair that filled its very core.

After gulping down a glass of water and taking a few deep, calming breaths, Gibbs steadied himself and headed up the stairs. Entering the bedroom, he approached the bed and, seeing Ziva and Tony curled together united in their grief, his heart broke. Reaching over, he gathered them up as one, and sunk to the floor with his back against the bed. With the blanket still wrapped firmly around them and enveloped in Gibbs' arms, the children nestled into the warmth of his chest, needing to feel the rhythmic beating of his heart; confirmation that the world hadn't just ended.

And, as the afternoon sun finally gave up its warmth and sank below the horizon, the room was engulfed in a darkness far more appropriate for the silence of the three figures huddled broken on the floor.


	10. Picking Up the Pieces

**AN - WOW! - your reviews have been wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to write them. It is much appreciated.**

**Enjoy :)**

Chapter 10- Picking Up the Pieces

Monday dawned cool and overcast. Gibbs slowly opened his eyes and, as his senses awakened, he became increasingly aware of every joint and muscle in his body screaming to be released from their constricted position. Looking down, both children were still asleep. Having spent most of the night comforting, rocking or murmuring soothing words, he realised that neither one had stirred in the last two hours. Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore the relentless pounding in his head but, just seconds later, was forced to open them again when he felt Ziva's small body begin twitching against his. Looking down, he could just make out the frown on her tiny face as she shifted again, whimpering slightly. Not wanting to wake Tony, Gibbs gently moved his hand from around her body and stroked her face.

"Shhhh, it's ok Ziver, it's just a bad dream," he murmured softly. When the whimpering continued, he tried, unsuccessfully, to somehow manoeuvre himself out from under the two sleeping children so he could pick Ziva up and rock her back to sleep. Unfortunately, his plan failed. Sensing movement around her, Ziva awoke with a start, gasping and, in a reflex action, hit out at the closest thing to her. Regrettably for Tony, this happened to be his head.

"Aughh!" he cried out, his eyes flinging open. "What the hell Ziva?" he yelled. Forgetting about the blanket that was still holding him and Ziva together, Tony rushed to stand pulling the blanket with him and toppling Ziva out. Gibbs, still in the throes of extracting himself from under them, wasn't quick enough to catch Ziva and she fell heavily to the floor banging her elbow. She immediately began crying.

"Well," remarked Gibbs, surveying the chaos around him. "I think we're awake now."

Managing to finally stand, Gibbs reached down and picked up Ziva, holding her tightly and rubbing her back. He noticed she was in full 'child' mode and wondered if it was the shock of the fall, or a reaction to the devastating news they'd received yesterday. Either way, she needed comfort and Gibbs was happy to oblige. Turning to Tony, he carefully examined his forehead. A red mark was clearly visible.

"You ok?" he asked gently, checking for bruising.

"Yeah," Tony groaned. Still half asleep, the young boy grabbed the blanket and, pulling it over himself, collapsed on the bed facing the wall.

Trying to ignore Ziva's cries, Gibbs laid his hand on Tony's shoulder, "You sure you're ok Tony? Do you want an ice-pack?" he asked.

"Nah, it's fine Boss," Tony mumbled into the wall. "It didn't really hurt, it just shocked me." Turning his face to look at Gibbs, he added, "Is Ziva ok?"

"Yeah, she's fine. I'll take her out. You get some more sleep." He pulled the blanket up and tucked it around Tony's body.

"Thanks," he murmured sleepily.

As he descended the stairs, Ziva's cries subsided into sniffles and by the time he had reached the kitchen there was only an occasional hiccup. Sitting down with her still on his lap, he gently took her arm and inspected the damage. "Hmmm," he pondered seriously, examining her elbow. "I don't think we'll have to chop it off." She giggled and pulled back her arm. He watched her closely and could almost detect the minute shift in awareness and she drifted from her childlike persona. He looked into her brown eyes, still swimming with tears. "You ok now?" She smiled and nodded staring back into his.

"You have lovely eyes Gibbs," she said innocently. "They remind me of the ocean." And, suddenly embarrassed, realising what she had just said, she flushed and looked down.

Not allowing her to become self conscious, Gibbs lifted her chin saying, "And yours remind me of melted chocolate; sweet, warm and comforting." If it were possible, Ziva blushed even further and tried to wriggle off his lap. "Don't be ashamed of compliments Ziver," Gibbs said not letting her down. "You are beautiful, inside and out." She rolled her eyes at him and he laughed at her expression.

"And you," she said jabbing her finger into his chest, referring to his laughter, "Should do _that_ more often!"

"Oh really?" he said standing up and placing her on the floor.

"Yes, really!" she replied hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Careful Zee-vah, you'll have him being nice again," warned Tony who had been standing in the doorway watching the interaction between Ziva and Gibbs. "And we know how scary that can be!"

"Hey, what are you doing up?" remarked Gibbs as Tony sat down at the table. "Thought you were going back to sleep?"

"Can't," replied Tony. "Got to thinking again."

Gibbs sighed and looked down at him. "Yeah, spent most of the night doing that as well."

Ziva and Gibbs sat down again and all three of them just stared at each other.

"Well somebody say something," commented Tony, never comfortable with silence. "This is just creepy."

Not wanting to hash over the scenes of last night, Gibbs got to the point.

"I got to thinking last night, and I may have come up with a solution. I'll need to run it by the Director to see if it's even possible, but I wanted to see how you two felt about it first." Tony and Ziva looked at him expectantly. "But, before I go into that, I need to ask you both something. We don't know how long this is gonna last. As Brigitte said, you could be like this for two years. I don't know if we should let your Fath…." He hesitated before using the word Fathers and amended, "families know. They may want you back and, I don't know, you may want to be with them again."

Ziva paled. "No Gibbs! Please, please don't send me back, I couldn't do that again. I know Abba is different now that he is the Director, but he would still want me completing training and it...it…it was hard enough the first time. I don't mean to sound weak, but…" her breathing quickened and her body started shaking.

"Hey Zi," Without hesitating, Gibbs pulled her on his lap again and started rubbing her back to calm her down. "Ziver, it's ok. You don't have to go back. I just wanted to check, make sure that it wasn't something _you _wanted to do." As her breathing slowed with his gentle rubbing, he looked over at Tony. A cold and frightened look had also come over the boy's face. "You're not gonna start hyperventilating on me as well, are you?" Gibbs quipped. He immediately regretted his words when he saw the hurt and betrayal in Tony's face before the boy pushed back his chair and fled the room.

"Ahh Shit," cursed Gibbs angry at his own stupidity. He looked down at Ziva. "Are you ok to stay here a minute? I need to talk to Tony." As Ziva nodded, he stood and deposited her gently on the chair he'd just vacated. "I'll be back in a minute."

Going into the living room, he looked around for Tony but couldn't see him. Deciding he must have gone upstairs he headed in that direction, only to find Tony sitting on the third to bottom step. As he approached him, he noticed the boy angrily wiping a tear from his face.

"I'm sorry Tony." he began.

"Thought that was a sign of weakness?" muttered Tony, not making eye contact.

"Not with family." Gibbs sat down next to Tony and put his arm around his shoulders.

"I'm not family," muttered Tony.

Gibbs took hold of Tony's shoulders and pulled him roughly around so they were face to face. "What did you just say?" asked Gibbs sternly.

Tony looked up, a defiant streak in his eyes. "I'm not family Gibbs. I'm just one of your agents and you're my boss. You have no obligations to me. But if ya gonna send me away, don't send me back to Senior, I'll find an Uncle or someone who might want to put up with me."

Gibbs tightened his grip and glared at Tony. "Tony, if there was ever a time I was going to give you a spanking, it's right now!" Tony looked fearfully into Gibbs eyes and the older man softened. "Why would you even think that? You mean the world to me Tony. Hell I know I can be a bastard at times. Call it tough love, call it whatever you damn well want, but that's how it is with us. You fool around, make smart ass comments, I insult ya back and smack you on the head."

Tony grinned, but his eyes had filled with tears. "Sometimes, I'm not so sure."

"Well be sure," Gibbs said gruffly but not unkindly. "I know I can be tougher on you than I am with Ziva and sometimes that can seem unfair. But it's the way I am Tony, I'm not about to change now. As Jenny likes to point out, frequently I might add, I'm a chauvinist. It's the way I was brought up. Rule 44."

Tony nodded. "First things first, hide the women and children. Yeah Boss, I get it. It's just…well, I guess being faced with the thought of going back to Senior, it... it just brought back bad memories. I figured I was just in the way again and it would be easier to send me off somewhere. I'm sorry Boss."

Gibbs put his arm around Tony's shoulder and squeezed it gently. Thinking back over the conversation they'd just had, Tony frowned, "Hey, you said you'd only ever spank us if we put ourselves in danger or deliberately disobeyed you?"

"Yeah well, you did put yourself in danger,"

"Huh? How?" asked Tony,

"You put yourself in danger of me!"

"That's so not fair Boss," replied Tony as he and Gibbs stood up.

"Yeah? Too bad!"

As they re-entered the kitchen, Ziva looked up from working on the puzzle she had started the day before. "Is everything ok?" she asked tentatively.

"All good Zee-vah," announced Tony back to his cheerful self once more. He leant over the table towards her and stage whispered, "Bit worried about the Boss though. He's gone all soft and talking about 'feelings' and stuff." He pulled a face to emphasise his point.

Gibbs turned to dole out the usual headslap, but realising it probably wasn't appropriate to headslap a ten year old, he lowered his aim and playfully swatted his butt instead.

"Hey!" yelped Tony, but he was grinning as he quickly took his seat.

With bowls of cereal set before each person at the table, Gibbs decided to make a second attempt at his earlier conversation.

"So, getting back to what I was saying earlier, I think we have established that neither of you wants to go back to your families?" Both children shook their heads. "Right then, well it's gonna be pretty difficult to explain to people what has happened. And obviously you can't continue coming into work. So, I think the easiest thing would be to get word out that both of you have been assigned a long term undercover project. That way, we don't need to give specifics but your families and friends won't be wondering what's happened to you and work colleagues won't be asking difficult questions."

"But what about Tim? He'll be affected by this?" asked Ziva

"Yeah, I know. I have an idea for him too, but I'll need to run it by him first. Abby and Ducky will be fine. They'll get plenty of work from the other teams."

Tony put down his spoon. "What about you, Boss? What're you gonna do?"

Seeing both sets of eyes on him, Gibbs replied. "Look, it's not totally out of place for me to say I'm retiring. Done it once before."

"Yeah, but how will you manage? Plus, what happens once we return to normal?" Tony was genuinely worried.

Gibbs sighed. "Maybe I could take a year off? Take up carpentry and sell chairs. I don't know Tony. I'll run a few ideas past Jen and see which ones are plausible."

"You could just train a new team Boss. McGee would love been your second in command." As much as Tony tried to sound nonchalant, jealously was rearing its ugly head.

"And what about you two?" questioned Gibbs.

"I don't know," Tony shrugged. "We could hang around here during the day."

Gibbs didn't even want to begin thinking where that could lead. "Not gonna happen Tony. The fact is, to the world outside you are still 33 and 28. Even if Abby were to create new identities for you, having you go to school, or even home schooled would be too risky. Once registered, Government authorities would be alerted and that could lead to a whole new array of problems, not to mention fraud once child payments start rolling in." Gibbs looked at Tony, "Thanks for your concern, but me quitting is the only way."

"Retiring Boss, not quitting," replied Tony grinning.

"Gibbs," began Ziva. "I have quite a large sum of money saved. I would like to make you my Power of Attorney and set up a regular payment into your account. I could do that online."

"No Ziver, we'll manage."

"We won't Gibbs not with three of us out of work," she argued. "Besides, this is what I want to do. You can't stop me. I will set it up so it will automatically happen."

"She's right Boss," added Tony. "I'll do the same thing. I haven't robbed a bank like Ziva apparently has, but I've got a bit saved."

"I have not robbed a bank, Tony!" snapped Ziva.

"Kill money?" he questioned raising his eyebrows.

She held up her spoon threateningly. "You do know I can kill you 26 ways with this?"

"Whoa, settle my little Ninja. Ok, so you were bequeathed it from a little old lady who liked cats and assassins. I get it!"

Ziva huffed and Tony continued. "I do think it's important to make you Power of Attorney for our affairs though Boss. Who knows what may happen in the future."

Gibbs stared at the two children in front of him. He was genuinely touched by their concern and willingness to ensure he was secure both financially and emotionally. He looked down and cleared this throat. "Thanks you two. It…it means a lot," he choked.

"Er, you're not going to go all touchy feely on us again are ya Boss? Cause, I'm gonna need to grab some tissues if ya are."

"Shut up Tony," said Ziva and she punched him, hard on the arm.

_-N-C-I-S-_

Later that morning, as Jenny was signing off on some reports, her cell rang. Smiling at the caller id, she answered, "Morning Jethro."

"Hey Jen," he replied. Realising it was futile to engage in general chit chat, Jenny waited for Gibbs to continue. True to form he ploughed on saying, "Can you spare an hour or so to come to the house? I need to fill you in on a few things and it's too risky to bring them into work. Someone might recognise 'em."

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Jen. Can you also organise a couple of hours off for Abby today, I need to speak with McGee without an audience."

"If it's just a baby-sitter you need, I can watch them while you talk to McGee. I'll bring some files over to work through.

"Great, thanks."

The phone clicked. Jenny laughed to herself and muttered sarcastically, "One day Jethro, you might actually learn the complexities of a conversation."

_-N-C-I-S-_

As Ziva and Tony worked on the puzzle, they heard the front door opening and Jenny's voice call, "It's just me." Heels clicking on the wooden floor, Jenny entered the kitchen.

"Hi Me." greeted Tony.

"Funny Tony," quipped Jenny. Her eyes fell on the puzzle they were working on."Hey that's coming along really well."

"Thanks Director!" continued Tony with a little too much enthusiasm. "We try our best to be good and praiseworthy kidlets around here."

Jenny glared at him. "Er…learn that from Gibbs?" he asked.

"I learned many things from Gibbs, Tony. You may want to remember that!"

"Filing it away now Ma'am." He pointed to the bench. "The coffee's hot if you want to pour a mug. Gibbs just made a fresh pot. I think he's missing the bourbon."

Jenny laughed as she grabbed a mug and poured the steaming brew. "So where is Gibbs," she asked, leaning against the cupboards and taking a sip.

"Basement," stated Tony as he reached carelessly for a piece and tried to force it to fit in a section of sky.

"Tony!" yelled Ziva. "Why would you even try that piece? It's green and brown!"

"To annoy you," he grinned. From behind he felt a stinging slap across the back of his head. "Ouch!" he yelped. "Hey, even Gibbs doesn't do that any more!"

"Yeah? What does he do instead Tony?" Jenny asked smirking.

Thinking about it Tony replied, "The head's fine Director."

"Thought as much," she laughed, as she made her way down the basement stairs.

_-N-C-I-S-_

"Wow," exhaled Jenny. "That's a lot to take in." She leaned back in her chair having just listened to Gibbs explain what Brigitte LaRue had discovered and the subsequent plans for himself, Tony and Ziva.

"So, do you think it's possible? The undercover ruse and me going into retirement?"

"It's possible Jethro, but is it really what you want?"

"What other choice do I have Jen? Those kids need me. Isn't that what you told me yesterday in the park, or was that just lip service."

"Of course not Jethro," she snapped. "You've had time to process this. I'm only just hearing it now. Give me some time to let it sink in for God's sakes."

He took a sip of his coffee and, placing the mug on work bench, crossed his arms and smirked at her.

"What?" she barked.

He shrugged. "Sunk in yet?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not sure. Get me another coffee and I'll let you know."

Heading into NCIS an hour later, Gibbs walked through the squad room and spied Tim working at his desk. Listening to the familiar sounds of people working he was amazed to think it had only been three days ago he had uttered the infamous words 'Grab your gear', as he, Tim, Tony and Ziva had entered the elevator ready to storm Trentwood's rural property.

Walking around the divider, Gibbs reached his own desk and made his way around the back to the filing cabinet. As he opened one of the drawers, McGee looked up.

"Oh, hi Boss. What are you doing here?" Surprise was evident in his tone.

"I work here McGee," Gibbs retorted grabbing out a couple of files and a small silver flask. Putting the flask in his jacket pocket he heard McGee stutter, "Well, yeah, I know that Boss. What, what I meant was why are….

Striding past Tim's desk, Gibbs cut him off saying, "With me!" and he headed purposefully to the elevator.

Standing quickly and almost running in Gibbs wake, Tim made it to the elevator just as the doors were closing. Once inside, Gibbs hit the button and, as the machine started to descend, he flicked on the emergency switch bringing the elevator to a clattering stop.

"What ya working on?" Gibbs was curious as to what Tim had been doing in their absence.

"Just chasing up some leads on people who may have known Petty Officer Bradshaw and if there were any connections between her and the other victims."

Gibbs looked at him questioningly.

"Nothing so far Boss," Tim answered.

"Need to run something by you," began Gibbs. "It looks like Tony and Ziva are going to be this way for some time, possibly a couple of years…"

"What? Really? How did you find that out?" Tim interrupted staring at Gibbs. The glare he received prompted him to look down and mumble, "Sorry Boss. Continue."

"So I'm going to have to make a couple of changes." Although still looking at Tim, the glare softened. "Changes that will affect you." Tim looked at Gibbs, worry etched on his face. Not daring to speak though, he allowed Gibbs to elaborate.

"People that need to know will be told I am retiring and that Tony and Ziva have gone undercover on a long term Op. This allows me to stay at home and look after them. Now, there's a couple of options for you to consider. You can join another team. I know one of Standford's men left recently to join Homeland Security, the Director could place you there. There would also be a place for you in the Cyber Crimes Unit.

"Um Boss," interrupted Tim for a second time. This time, however, Gibbs let him speak. "I couldn't really imagine working for another team, especially if there's a chance that ours will be back together at some stage." He cleared his throat. "Ahh, as you know my first novel has done rather well, and while it hasn't made me millions, or even a million for that matter, it's certainly allowed me to put quite a large amount aside for my future. I'm currently working on my second novel and, well, to be honest, I'm struggling to find the time to devote to it and, while it's not writer's block or anything like that, I have been having some difficulties with…"

"McGee!" snapped Gibbs. Having listened carefully at the beginning, McGee's rambling had by now, reached 'ten' on his frustrating conversations metre. Tim looked at him, the next word still forming on his lips. "The point?" Gibbs asked.

"Right, sorry Boss. The point, I guess, is that I have enough saved that I could take extended leave without pay. It would give me chance to finish my second book and wouldn't mean me having to find a new position here." He looked at Gibbs trying to judge his reaction.

"You sure about that Tim?" asked Gibbs.

"Yes Boss, I'm sure." Tim looked him directly in the eyes and Gibbs nodded.

"Right then. Well, when the director returns, you go and see her and sort that out."

"I will Boss."

Pushing the up button, Gibbs flicked off the emergency switch and the elevator ascended, stopping once again at the squad room level. As the doors opened, Gibbs turned to Tim and said, "I'm having a team meeting at my place tonight to fill everyone in. About 2030 suit you?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, that suits me fine." As Tim started to exit Gibbs called, "Tim, thanks for what you're doing to keep this team together. It doesn't go unnoticed."

"Right Boss, um…thanks." Tim blushed crimson. Praise was so rare from Gibbs and, in a personal context such as this, was almost unheard of. The elevator doors closed and, grinning widely, he headed back to his desk. As he sat down again, he looked at the three empty desks around him and knew he had made the right decision. He couldn't work for another team. Gibbs may be intimidating, scary even, with his stares and impatience but he was a fantastic team leader and Tim had learnt so much working under him. Ziva? Well Ziva could be just as scary as Gibbs, actually thinking about it, possibly even more so. Gibbs was gruff, but he generally drew the line at torture interrogation! But Ziva was patient with him and had even been known to take his side against Tony on a number of occasions. Then there was Tony, annoying, juvenile, constantly harassing and teasing him. But Tim knew Tony always had his back and would risk his own life to protect him, had done in fact more times than Tim could count. Tony was a brother.

Yes, thought Tim, individually we may appear as a bunch of insecure, flawed, socially challenged misfits, but together we are a team. Dysfunctional? Sometimes. Reckless? Maybe. Crazy? Definitely! But a team none the less.

And Tim wouldn't have it any other way.

**Apologies if some of the legal guff didn't quite make sense - not my forte! Secondly, not sure if US has child payments which automatically kick in once a child is registered, but, in my world, they do :)**

**Please review, I love hearing from you.**


	11. First Steps

**Author's Notes**

**Thanks again for the reviews. A couple of you wanted to see the team meeting. Sorry, it's not a focal point of this chapter as I just wanted to quickly get passed the 'everyone finds out' stage so I could get on with the story. There will be more team interaction in a couple of chapter's time.**

**I'm trying to include a mixture of fun and serious moments in the story but, as the title suggests, it's more about how Gibbs, Tony and Ziva learn to deal with their past demons. Therefore, the serious moments may become a little 'top heavy'. As Tony and Ziva have both had very dysfunctional first childhoods, being small again brings up many memories and so I write about how I think they may have tried to cope with those memories. Added to that, is Gibbs' own personal pain so, all in all, there are some rather poignant moments in my story as the three of them try to muddle through.**

**Enjoy :)**

Chapter 11 – First Steps

It was almost fourteen hundred hours before Gibbs opened the front door to his house and stepped in. The first thing he noticed was the all-consuming silence. When he had left the house two hours earlier, Tony and Ziva had been arguing over the puzzle and Jenny was in the midst of making sandwiches for lunch. As he made his way into the kitchen and flicked on the coffee machine, he wondered if they had all gone for a walk. Returning to the living room, he was just about to lock up his gun in the safe box, when a terrified scream echoed from upstairs. Instinct took over and before he realised what he was doing, Gibbs suddenly found himself stepping onto the upstairs landing, gun drawn, finger ready on the trigger. It was only when he heard Ziva say "See, I knew I would find you in less than a minute!" did he take a deep breath, relax his shoulders and re-holster his weapon.

As he continued up the hall, a slight movement from his own bedroom caught his eye. Stopping, he peered into the room and saw the tell-tale sign of the sliding door just closing. Knowing Tony and Ziva were in their room, he deduced it could only be one person hiding in his wardrobe. Deciding he would have a little fun, Gibbs entered his room and, silently closing the door behind him, crept to the window and hid behind the drapes, waiting for Jenny to make the next move.

The unmistakable sound of two children running down the stairs could not have been better timed. Knowing that Jenny would assume the children were looking for her downstairs, he hoped she would reveal herself and follow them. A slight movement in the cupboard affirmed his thoughts. Standing perfectly still, he waited while her fingers pushed the sliding door open and she emerged from within its confines. Too concerned with her task of tracking the children, she was neither physically nor mentally prepared for the surprise attack that ensued. Just as she tiptoed passed the window, Gibbs lunged forward and grabbed her around the neck, covering her mouth with his hand. However, not for nothing was Jenny Shepherd one of the best NCIS agents Gibbs had ever worked with. Whilst the attack may have caught her off guard, her reactions were immediate. Biting down hard on the hand at her mouth, she thrust her elbow backwards winding her assailant while her high heeled boot slammed heavily onto his foot.

Emitting a pained shout, Gibbs fell backwards onto the bed, one hand at his ribs, the other, now bleeding from the penetrating bite mark, trying to grasp his throbbing foot.

"Oh my God, Jethro!" exclaimed Jenny when she saw who her attacker was. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I live here Jen," Gibbs gasped, still reeling from the hit to his stomach. "I see you haven't lost ya touch! Geez Jen, thank God ya weren't aiming lower!"

"Yeah, well I learnt from the best," replied Jenny trying desperately not to laugh. She moved forward to get a better look at the damage she had inflected. Gibbs flinched.

"Coming in for a second attempt are ya? What, didn't do a good enough job the first time?"

"Don't be such a baby Jethro." She grabbed his bleeding hand. "Let me see if you need stitches."

"It's fine," growled Gibbs. "Don't fuss."

"What? Afraid of what the medical staff might say when you try and explain your injuries?" She smirked, enjoying his discomfort.

With no retort forthcoming, Gibbs glared at her instead.

"Well, let's at least get an ice-pack on it." She grabbed his hand and all but dragged him out the room and down the stairs. Leading him into the kitchen they found Tony and Ziva in the throes of searching for Jenny. Looking at them she remarked, "I appreciate the flattery guys, but do you really think I'm thin enough to hide behind the fridge?"

"It was Ziva's ide…."began Tony. But on seeing Gibbs doubled over, limping and holding his lower ribs with a bleeding hand, he exclaimed, "Geez Boss, what happened to you? Didn't McGee like your plan? Wow, didn't think the Probie had it in him."

"He doesn't Tony," replied Jenny steering Gibbs to the table and pushing him into a seat. "This is all my doing I'm afraid."

"Really?" declared Tony, his eyes wide with amusement. "Care to share?" he added.

"Trust me Tony," said Jenny as she grabbed an ice-pack out of the freezer. "You don't want to know."

"Oh but I do!" replied Tony sitting himself down. He placed his elbows on the table and, resting his chin in his palms, he wiggled his fingers on his cheeks waiting for the sordid details. Grinning inanely at Gibbs he was simply met with a steely glare as Gibbs steadfastly refused to open his mouth.

_-N-C-I-S-_

Once Jenny was satisfied that Gibbs' wounds were just superficial as he kept insisting, she headed back to the office with an assurance she would find the right person to act for Tony and Ziva in their wish to make Gibbs their Power of Attorney. She felt confident that this could be settled easily and with the minimum of questions.

Placing the ice-pack back in the freezer, Gibbs looked out the window to see Tony and Ziva playing in the yard. So much had happened in the past twenty four hours, he hadn't really thought about the practicalities of having them living with him full time. Until Brigitte had visited and shattered their world, he had assumed he would only have them for a couple of weeks at most. Not that he minded having them on a permanent basis, he just realised that quite a few changes would have to be made. One of which, as he looked out the window, was making his backyard more 'child friendly'. Both Tony and Ziva were active adults, so it was only natural to assume they would be active children. Maybe he could look at building a climbing frame, or a tree house? It could become a project for the three of them. A swing set wouldn't go amiss either.

Grabbing a piece of paper, he sat at the table and began sketching a design for a tree house which would incorporate a climbing frame. He knew he was avoiding the biggest change that needed to take place. He just wasn't sure he was ready yet. He thought back to Jenny's words yesterday, 'Ziva isn't Kelly'. She was right of course, Gibbs knew that. But the memories were still so raw, the pain so deep, he just felt he was betraying Kelly by packing up her room and handing it over to another child. But the truth of the matter was, Tony and Ziva needed their own space, especially Tony. At ten, he was maturing. He didn't need a five year old annoying him all day and then all night as well. Maybe he could put Tony in Kelly's old room? It would certainly be easier on him emotionally if the room was set up for a pre-teen boy rather than a little girl. Yes, he decided, having Tony go into that room would be the best solution.

And, in typical Gibbs fashion, having made up his mind, he stepped forward to put his plan into action.

It was in this forbidden room that Ziva found him an hour later. Of course Gibbs had never actually told them the room was forbidden, but it had been an unspoken rule, one which both children had respected sacredly.

Standing in the doorway, still not wanting to step over the threshold, Ziva had leaned against the frame as she watched Gibbs stripping back the pink wallpaper with a scraper. He worked almost feverishly, as if by doing it quickly, it wouldn't feel so much as a betrayal to her memory. Ziva looked around the room. There were no toys or books to be seen, nothing to suggest a little girl still lived in this room. But the furniture, shelves and, of course the wallpaper, paid testament to the fact that it had once been the home of a treasured child, a treasured child whose life had been taken so cruelly.

Ziva thought back to when she had first found out about Gibbs' family. She had been researching his dossier for Ari and had been shocked by the information. Even then, when she had no emotional connection to him, the news that this man had lost his wife and daughter at the hands of someone else, had evoked a feeling of empathy. Having lost her own mother and sister in tragic circumstances, she could identify with Leroy Jethro Gibbs, even if his goal seemed intent on seeing her brother dead.

Her brother. Charismatic, funny, charming Ari. She had loved him with all her heart. He had been her big brother, her protector. So many times Ari had stepped in and taken a beating that was meant for her. He had taught her how to climb trees, ride a bike and shown her all the best hiding places to ensure she was never found by the neighbourhood children. But her father had changed all that. He had turned Ari bitter and cold, full of vengeance and hate. And, as a final show of his power, had order her, Ziva, his little sister, to shoot and kill her own brother. Heartache engulfed her. Yes, she could understand the pain in Gibbs' eyes whenever he thought of his family and why he struggled to let them go. So why was he suddenly stripping back this room, this shrine to his daughter's memory?

"Hey Ziver, what ya doin'?" She was startled from her musings by his voice, so calm and melodic.

Looking up she replied, "I was just thinking."

"About?"

"You… me… Kelly," she looked down. "Ari."

Putting down the scraper, he walked over to where she was standing and crouched down in front of her. He noticed there were tears resting on her cheeks. Tears she didn't even realise had fallen. He gently wiped them away with his thumb and looked into her eyes.

"Heavy thoughts." He said simply. She nodded.

"He wasn't all bad you know," she said. "Ari, I mean. There was a time when he was full of love and compassion. He protected me Gibbs. He protected me from my Father. But…" the tears began to fall again as her voice hitched, "But I wasn't able to protect him." Suddenly, anger and bitterness surged in her voice, "My Father is to blame for Ari's hate." She looked into his blue eyes, begging him to understand.

"Yeah, I know Zi. Ari was a victim of circumstance. A pawn in your Father's game of power."

He sat down on the floor and pulled Ziva onto his lap. She leaned into his chest and brushed the tears that had once again, traitorously fallen.

Putting his arm around her and leaning his chin on her head, Gibbs said quietly. "You know Ziver, you and I are a lot alike. We don't trust easily, we hold our cards close to our chests and we bottle up our feelings." He felt her head nod. "Problem is, some things can be a curse. We are stubborn, strong willed and furiously independent. And, when someone betrays us or someone we love, we don't forget, we can't forgive and we seek revenge."

He turned her so she was looking up into his eyes. "Those are not good traits Ziver. They are like cancer and can eat away at us. I don't want that for you. I want you to learn forgiveness. Your father raised you to be cold and calculating, to lack empathy and soul and that is far more abusive than anything he ever did to you that was physical. You still have your whole life ahead of you, and I don't mean as a five year old. Twenty eight is still young Ziver, young enough to change and I am making it my job to help you make those changes. I may not be the best teacher and I'm certainly not the best role model when it comes to showing love and forgiveness, but I will make damn sure that you experience those things so often, they will be ingrained in you. That Ziver, is my promise to you."

Struck by the intensity and emotion of his words, Ziva could only nod in response. She leaned back into his chest as he gently stroked her hair.

"Gibbs?" she asked softy.

"Hmmm?" he replied.

"How do you feel having me around?"

"Huh?" he asked, shifting her once again so they were face to face.

"I mean, Kelly was your daughter and she died. It must be hard having a little girl around you again. And, here you are in this room, tearing down the wallpaper so that Tony and I can live here. Would it…." she paused, knowing what she needed to say, but afraid to voice it in case he agreed. "Would it be easier, if I didn't live here?" She looked down again, unable to meet his gaze.

"Is that what you want Ziver?" he asked gently.

Her eyes shot up to meet his. "No, of course not! I want to stay here, but I do not want to make things more difficult for you."

"Did you hear a word of what I just said?" he asked looking intently at her.

"Yes but…"

"No buts Ziva. As a good friend said to me recently, you are not Kelly. Nor are you a replacement for Kelly. You are Ziva David who, at the moment, is a little girl in need of love and support. Got it?"

She nodded.

"Sorry, Ziva, I didn't quite hear that."

"Yes Gibbs," she giggled.

"Good!" He stood her up as he pulled himself into a standing position. "Now, I don't ever want to hear you say anything like that again." He then added, "The same goes for you Tony."

Ziva turned to look at the door as Tony self consciously made himself visible from his hiding place behind the wall.

"Listening in at doors again Tony?" asked Gibbs in mock sternness.

"Maybe?" replied Tony as he sauntered into the room.

"Listen you two," began Gibbs once Tony was standing in front of him. "The three of us are stuck with each other for at least twelve months. I for one don't mind and I hope you two feel the same way. I'm not saying it's gonna be fun and dandy all the time, but we will get through this as long as we are honest with each other and make an effort. OK?"

"Yes Gibbs,"

"Got it!"

Gibbs turned, ready to continue working on the walls when he heard Tony say, "Er Boss? Fun and dandy? Seriously? Where did ya get that from? Life with Uncle Howie down on the farm!" Tony put on his best 'hick town' accent.

"Just for that Tony DiNozzo, you get to help scrape the walls." Gibbs picked up a second scraper and tossed it at the boy. Tony caught it easily and with a loud groan, trudged to the wall and began scraping.

Ziva laughed and, not wanting to be left out, began gathering the bits of fallen paper and putting them into a garbage bag.

_-N-C-I-S-_

By ten o'clock next morning, the three of them were back in the car, heading out to Home Depot to pick up whatever supplies would be needed to transform the two rooms upstairs into cosy bedrooms. It had been a struggle for Gibbs to get them up, dressed, eat breakfast and be ready to go. Driving along the highway, he looked through the rear view mirror and noticed that both children were almost asleep again. Right on cue, Tony yawned loudly.

"We keepin' you up Tony?" Gibbs asked sarcastically.

Yawning again Tony replied, "Sorry Boss. I'm just so tired today. Maybe this being ten is starting to take its toll. Besides," he pointed out, "It was a late night last night. I thought Ducky was never going to leave."

Gibbs smiled. Ducky had certainly made the most of the evening. Once Gibbs had explained to the team what Brigitte LaRue had discovered and what this meant for his, Tony and Ziva's futures, Ducky had taken centre stage and regaled everyone with stories of his time spent in Paris with Brigitte. Gibbs suspected that, had fate not intervened, Brigitte may well have become the first and only Mrs Donald Mallard.

"Stop it Tony!" Gibbs jumped as Ziva's yell penetrated his thoughts.

"Hey, what's going on back there?" he asked looking in the mirror again.

"Tony keeps flicking paper at me!" Ziva grouched. Her voice was whiney and frustrated. Being tired and five was not a good combination for Ziva. Gibbs has noticed both children were definitely acting more akin to their physical age today and wondered if being tired had anything to do with it.

"Cut it out Tony," admonished Gibbs. "What are you doing with paper anyway?"

"It's our list of things we need to get. I was just making use of the spare pages." he explained trying to sound innocent.

"Well don't!" snapped Ziva.

"Well don't!" mimicked Tony imitating her angry voice.

"Tony," warned Gibbs glaring at the boy as best he could through a rear view mirror.

For a while all was quiet again and Gibbs revelled in the peace. He took the exit he needed and, leaving the freeway behind, found himself meandering his way along the narrower streets as he headed towards the store.

Suddenly, he heard a scuffle from the backseat and, distracted, turned to see what was going on. Ziva, having unfastened her seat belt, had launched herself at Tony and was currently punching him in the chest. Bent over Tony while she hit out, her little bottom was a prime target and Gibbs let his hand fall sharply as he swatted her hard.

"Sit down!" he growled, slowing the car so he could pull off to the side.

Shocked by the sudden, stinging pain, Ziva grabbed her bottom and whirled around exclaiming indignantly, "You spanked me Gibbs!"

Once the car was safely stopped on the verge, he turned in his seat and retorted, "Yes, I did! What on earth do you think you're doing?"

Still shocked that Gibbs had dared to spank her, Ziva said angrily, "Tony wouldn't leave me alone. He kept annoying me and kicking me."

"So you thought you would unfasten your seat belt, while the car was moving, and take matters into your own hands?" The displeasure in his voice was obvious.

Suddenly realising why Gibbs was so angry, Ziva sat herself back in her seat and refused to look at him. Her arms crossed in an act of defiance.

"Look at me young lady," growled Gibbs. When she still refused, he raised his voice slightly. "Now, Miss David!" When she finally did as he asked, the challenge in her eyes was almost comical. Trying very hard not to laugh, Gibbs thought back to Jenny's words, "_She wants you to stand on the other side of that line, so that each time she sticks her toe over it, she can be assured that you are there every time to push it back, to question her, make her be accountable to herself" _Well, he thought wryly, he was about to make her accountable.

"You don't ever undo your seatbelt while this car is moving," he began, speaking with unmistakable sternness. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Not to mention punching Tony and distracting me while I'm driving. I told you I would spank you if you ever put yourself in danger and that is exactly what you did young lady." Seeing her eyes well up with tears, he decided to finish the lecture. "I want you to look me in the eye, and promise me you will _never_ undo your seatbelt while the car is moving, ever again."

Looking up, the defiance now gone, she replied quietly, "I promise."

Gibbs then turned to Tony. "I asked you to stop annoying her. When we get home, I want you to make use of that spare paper you are so intent on throwing around and write out five reasons why you shouldn't annoy Ziva. Understood?"

"Yes Boss," replied Tony looking quite remorseful as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Is that it?" asked Ziva incredulously. "That's all he gets. How come I get spanked and he just has to write out five little sentences."

"Because Ziva," replied Gibbs sounding far more patient than he felt. "Tony did not put himself in danger. If you want, you can also write out five reasons why you shouldn't lose your temper and punch people?"

Huffing loudly, Ziva returned to pouting and kicked the car seat for good measure. Ignoring her outburst, knowing it was simply a reaction to the current situation, Gibbs asked "Do you need help buckling up, or can you manage it yourself?"

He watched as she reached over her shoulder and pulled the belt so it slid forward. Dragging it across her body, she fumbled with the clasp as she tried to snap it in.

Tony reached over to help but she slapped his hand away. "I can do it myself," she snapped.

"Ziva," warned Gibbs. "I understand that you're angry right now, but slapping Tony is only going to land you in more trouble."

Having managed to finally click the belt in place, she ignored both Gibbs and Tony and stared mutinously out the window. Shaking his head, Gibbs turned back to the front and, after starting the car, merged back into the traffic. It was going to be a long day.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs pulled into the car park of the large department store and switched off the engine. Since the earlier incident, there hadn't been a peep out of either Tony or Ziva. Wanting to lighten the mood, Gibbs turned to the back and said, "OK, everybody out. Time to spend some money!"

On hearing the lift in Gibbs' voice, Tony was quick to respond and, unfastening his seatbelt, he opened the car door and leapt out saying cheerfully, "On your six Boss."

Noticing Ziva hadn't moved, Gibbs asked, "Do you need some help?"

She shook her head but still refused to look at him.

Sighing deeply, Gibbs opened his door and walked around to Tony's side of the car. Seeing Tony standing there wondering what was happening, he said, "Just wait here a sec. I need to chat with Ziva." Tony nodded his understanding while Gibbs opened the door and crawled in the back next to Ziva.

"What's up?" he asked.

She shrugged in response but refused to speak. She was slumped dejectedly in her seat, head down and picking roughly at her finger nails.

"Ziver," he said gently. "I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"Yourangryatme," she mumbled.

"What was that?" he asked not having caught a word of the mumbled response.

She took a deep breath and then repeated, "You're angry at me."

"No I'm not," Gibbs answered simply. "Why do you think that?"

"Because you spanked me and growled at me." She replied, her voice more sad than sulky.

"Ziver, I thought I explained that to you. I was angry with your actions and I explained why. I asked you to promise me you wouldn't do it again. Did you mean it, when you promised?"

"Yes."

"Then it's over. We move on."

"But," she made eye contact for the first time. "I… I disappointed you. I was bad." She quickly looked down again.

"No, you made a bad choice. But you learnt from it. You need to let it go Ziver. I have. There's no point hanging on to guilt. That doesn't serve any purpose." He unsnapped her buckle and, no longer allowing her to wallow in her feelings of guilt and shame, he said briskly, "Come on, we need to go. We've got a lot of things to buy today." He helped her to crawl across the seat and exit through Tony's door.

Gibbs knew she was still processing what he had said and he was happy to let her do so. But he was not going to allow her to foster feelings of self loathing. All her life she had been expected to feel shame and guilt when things hadn't gone to plan. Today, he thought to himself, was the first step in allowing Miss Ziva David the freedom to feel safe enough to make mistakes, learn from them and move on knowing that no-one would hold her to ransom for her actions.

Taking her hand, he led both children into the store saying briskly, "Right Tony, let's have a look at that list." As Tony unfolded the piece of paper and began to read out the items, Gibbs made every effort to include both children in the decision making process, starting from what colour paint they liked right down to the type of hooks they wanted on their doors. After a while, Ziva began to relax and was happy enough to take an interest in the activities around her. Gibbs hoped that she was taking the first steps in accepting that, once dealt with, any incident of wrong-doing was both forgiven and forgotten.


	12. Sharing Memories

**AN: Yes I agree. It has been more Ziva centred and, I apologise to the Tony fans if you feel I am neglecting him. I have probably overdone it, but my focus on Ziva has tried to pave a way for chapter 13 in which Tony has a breakthrough of sorts. I did think of re-writing this chapter so that it happened earlier but I feel this chapter still needs to be as it is as there's a couple of Tony/Gibbs scenes that help to develop their relationship, so please bare with me for a little bit longer. I see Tony as a 'people pleaser'. He desperately wants to be liked and accepted and covers his insecurities with jokes and annoying behaviour. Added to that, Gibbs' own relationship with his father was a rather strained one, and as a result, I feel that he would struggle to deal with Tony, not sure on how to balance the 'tough love' with the affection he needs to give etc. But, yes, I get it, maybe I have overdone it.**

**I'm currently writing Chapter 14 and have decided to bring my 'Tony' plot forward. So, stay tuned – more Tibbs coming up**

**To the guest reviewer who basically said the same thing about Tony, I apologise. I have no idea what happened but your review was erased. But hopefully I have answered your question anyway.**

Chapter 12 - Sharing Memories

As Tony and Ziva entered the house, cans of paint swinging from their hands, Gibbs called from the driveway, "Just leave them in the kitchen and come back for some more stuff." Putting the paint on the table, both children raced outside again to grab more things.

"We sure bought a lot today!" exclaimed Tony and he surveyed the full to bursting trunk.

"Yep," agreed Gibbs. He handed Ziva a bag of brushes, rollers and paint trays while Tony was given two more cans of paint. Grabbing the heavier planks of wood he had bought to make some shelves for the spare room, now Ziva's, Gibbs followed the children into the house and through to the kitchen. Heading on down to the basement, Gibbs laid the wood on the work bench then returned to the kitchen.

"Right," he said. "Time for some lunch. Do you want some of that soup Abby brought around last night?"

"Yes please," answered Tony and Ziva together.

As Gibbs retrieved the pan from the cupboard and put it on the stove, he turned to Tony and said, "While I'm heating it up Tony, I'd like you to go upstairs and write down those five reasons why you shouldn't annoy Ziva."

"Yes Sir." At first Gibbs was surprised at Tony's use of the word 'sir' but realised it was probably just an automatic response of childhood respect. Watching Tony exit the room, he then turned to Ziva and said, "You've got about ten minutes. Do you want to work on the puzzle? I could help you spread it out before starting the soup."

"No thanks," she replied still sounding subdued. "I might go outside for a bit."

"OK. I'll call you when lunch is ready."

He watched her trudge out the side door. Something was still bothering her. Having told her the earlier incident in the car was over, he didn't really want to bring it up again, but maybe he should. She certainly didn't seem to be letting it go. Gibbs shook it head as he opened the fridge to take out the soup Abby had made for them. All he seemed to be doing lately was talking. He'd never spoken so much in his entire life as he had in the past five days. Not only was he trying to cope with two children, but these two came with a life-time of baggage; preconceived ideas about life, childhood trauma, not to mention that half the time they still had their adult minds. No it certainly wasn't easy, on any of them.

Just as the soup was starting to simmer and Gibbs had turned down the heat, Tony entered the kitchen.

"I'm finished," he said, looking up while holding a piece of paper in his hands.

"I'll get Ziva," said Gibbs as he walked to the side door and called her name. She came in and they all sat at the table.

"Ok," began Tony reading from his piece of paper. "Five reasons why I shouldn't annoy Ziva. One, it's not fair on her and it makes her feel angry." He looked across at Ziva who was sitting with her head bowed, her knees drawn up to her chest. He continued, "Two, it gets her into trouble. Three, it gets me into trouble. Four, she has crazy ninja skills and she punches real hard." Gibbs smirked and noticed that a small grin had emerged on Ziva's face as well. "And five, she's my best friend and that's not the way you treat people you care about." Tony finished and placed the piece of paper on the table. Looking at Ziva, he added with genuine sorrow, "I'm sorry Zi, I didn't mean for you to get so angry. I was being a jerk and I'm sorry you got spanked, I hope it didn't hurt too much." Tony looked down into his lap, waiting self-consciously for someone to speak.

Gibbs also waited in the silence, wondering if Ziva was going to respond. When she didn't, he prompted saying, "Ziva, did you want to say anything," She shook her head.

"She's still mad at me," concluded Tony.

"No I'm not." Ziva finally said. "I just…" She stopped not really sure how to voice what she wanted to say.

"What Ziva? You just what?" asked Gibbs gently.

"I just don't understand." She looked up at Gibbs. "I did something really stupid but then it was over. You didn't even really punish me. The smack hurt at first, but it wasn't very hard. All I had to say was I wouldn't do it again and that was it."

Gibbs leaned in closer and asked, "As I said in the car, did you mean it when you said you wouldn't do it again?"

"Yes, of course I did, I told you that,"

"Exactly," smiled Gibbs. "And I believed you."

"But, that wouldn't have happened with my Father." She looked down again. "He would have lectured me about being so disobedient and showing weakness by losing control. Then he would have spanked me properly when we got home."

"With the stick?" asked Gibbs. Ziva nodded. "That's not a spanking Ziva, that's a beating. You don't need to feel pain in order to be forgiven. That's what this is about isn't it?" Gibbs suddenly realised what was bothering her. "You don't feel forgiven because you haven't suffered enough?"

She nodded.

"Ziver, that's never gonna happen with me. You have to trust that when I say it's over, that's exactly what I mean." He leaned over and lifted her chin. "It's over Ziver. We move on. Got it?"

She nodded. "Yes," she said simply.

He turned to Tony. "Good job with the list Tony. And you're right, that's not how you treat people you care about. But, one point, you didn't get Ziva into trouble. She did that herself with her own actions. Ok?" Tony also nodded.

Ziva looked at Tony. "I'm sorry I got mad at you and punched you. Thanks for writing those things. I don't know how I'd get through this without you. I don't mean to lose my temper, I just get really angry."

"Yeah, well I don't help," replied Tony. "Am I forgiven?" He smiled at her and was pleased when the smile was returned.

"Of course. There's nothing to forgive," she said.

"Right," said Gibbs briskly, "Well I don't know about you two, but I'm starving and that soup of Abby's smells pretty good. Let's grab some bowls and eat."

The afternoon was spent washing down the walls in preparation for painting. The mood was light and the three of them chatted about the colours they had picked and where they would like their furniture. By about two o'clock, Gibbs noticed that Ziva was starting to slow down. Knowing she would be horrified if he told her to have a nap, he suggested instead that she should make a list of some games and toys that she and Tony might like to have. Relieved at not having to scrub the walls any longer, Ziva nodded and headed into her and Tony's bedroom. Grabbing some paper and a pencil she sat on her bed and thought about what they could buy. It wasn't long though before her eyes started to droop and, putting the paper and pencil down, she curled up on the bed and was soon fast asleep.

An hour later with the walls scrubbed and ready for painting, Gibbs put down his scraper and looked at Tony.

"Thirsty?" he asked.

"Parched!" replied Tony, hanging out his tongue to emphasise his point.

"Come on then," said Gibbs. "There's a cold soda with your name on it!"

"Ya sure it's not a beer?" tried Tony.

"Definitely!"

As they passed the second bedroom, Gibbs peeked in to see Ziva curled up fast asleep. He smiled and closed the door slightly.

"Out like a light," he said in reply to Tony's questioning look.

In the kitchen, Gibbs grabbed a beer and soda from the fridge and sat down at the table with Tony. Taking a mouthful and swallowing, he said "Yer doing a good job up there Tony. It's hard work but we'll be able to start painting tomorrow."

Tony nodded his thanks as he guzzled the fizzy drink. Putting it down on the table he suddenly belched loudly.

"Oops," he said, covering his mouth with embarrassment.

"Good one!" replied Gibbs. "Ya could've got to 'g' with that,"

Tony looked at him, wondering if he meant what he thought he meant.

"Burping the alphabet," clarified Gibbs. "Ya could've got to 'g'."

"Maybe," shrugged Tony. "My record's 'p'."

"Yeah? Mine's 'v'," smirked Gibbs.

They sat in comfortable silence, drinking, lost in their own thoughts. Not surprisingly, it was Tony who spoke first.

"Ya know," he began. "Seeing how there's not much we can do about this regression thing, I'm kinda glad we're with you, boss. And, as much as I wouldn't wish it on another person, I'm also glad I'm not alone. Having Ziva is like having a little sister."

Gibbs took another sip and let Tony continue.

"I always wanted a little sister." Tony looked at Gibbs and laughed saying, "When I was six, I asked my Mom if I could have a little sister for Christmas."

"What did she say?"

"She said it was October and babies took nine months to grow." He laughed again as did Gibbs.

"Yeah, well she was right there I guess," said Gibbs watching Tony's face as he reminisced. "Did ya put in an order for the following year?"

"Nah, and by the time Christmas came around again Mom was sick and all I wanted that year was for her to get better." He looked down, saddened by the memory.

"Yeah," acknowledged Gibbs with a sigh.

"What about you, boss? What was your Mom like growing up?" Tony asked, steering the conversation in a different direction.

"She was hard working, kind and caring but didn't take any crap either. She died when I was fourteen."

"Oh, sorry Boss. I didn't realise. How?" Tony studied Gibbs' face. He hadn't known he had lost his mother at a young age as well.

"Like your Mom," answered Gibbs. "She got sick."

"Hate cancer!" said Tony emphatically. "It destroys so many lives and not just the ones who have it." The silence continued until Tony asked. "How did your Dad cope with it?"

Putting down his beer, Gibbs replied, "He was angry, confused. I wasn't much help. I was pretty hard headed and didn't cut him any slack,"

"Did he send you away?"

"No Tony, he didn't." Gibbs let Tony digest that piece of information before he added. "You know you did nothing wrong, don't ya?"

Tony looked up,

"I mean with ya Dad sending you off to school. It wasn't your fault. It was his problem. He wasn't man enough to deal with what was happening. It wasn't anything you did."

Tony shrugged. "Maybe. I was pretty out of control."

"Yeah, well, you'd just lost your Mom. Most kids would struggle to cope with that." He put his hand on Tony's shoulder. "Did you and your Dad ever talk about what had happened and how you felt?"

"Ya kidding right?" answered Tony incredulously. "By the time I was nine, Dad had divorced the woman he married after Mom and was playing around with next one. The closest my Dad and I ever came to talking were my nightly reports to him in the study while he sipped his scotch and that was only on the rare occasions he was actually home," Tony sneered. "Although," he stared into the distance. "I do remember one time he took me fishing on his boat. We had fun that day… It was a good day." Tony's voice drifted as he became lost in the memory.

Coming back to the present, Tony laughed and said, "Ya drew the short straw, hey boss? Ya got stuck with two kids, one with masochistic tendencies and the other with abandonment fears and both with daddy issues. Yep, you sure struck it lucky."

"Yeah, I did Tony," remarked Gibbs as he stood up and put the empty bottle and soda can in the recycling bin. And Tony stared at him, suddenly realising that Gibbs was being serious.

_-N-C-I-S-_

Standing in the backyard, Gibbs told Tony about his ideas for making a tree house with a climbing frame.

"Sounds great boss," replied Tony. "I reckon this tree would be the best." He walked over to the tall oak tree. Its thick trunk and meandering branches made it a perfect specimen for climbing. "You could make the climbing frame join onto this tree," suggested Tony as he patted the Silver Maple next to it. "We could have a ladder or foot pegs or something so that we could climb up and down the trunk?"

"Good idea," nodded Gibbs. "So you wanna help me build it?"

"Um, yeah I guess?" Tony hesitated. "What if I muck it up? I'm not very good with that kind of stuff."

"You won't 'muck it up'," assured Gibbs. "You'll learn and fix up any mistakes you make. Do you think I was born knowing how to build a boat?"

"Maybe?" smirked Tony.

"Yeah, well I wasn't. I had to learn and so will you. Ziva too. I think we can turn this into a family project." Gibbs walked around the thick trunk, looking for a good place to put the floor of the tree house.

"Well you won't need to worry about a saw to cut the wood!" grinned Tony.

"Yeah, why's that?" asked Gibbs.

"We can just get Ziva to karate chop them." And to demonstrate he pretended to kick into an invisible piece of wood with a loud, "hi ya!"

"I'll 'hi ya' you in a minute," threatened Gibbs.

"Yeah, how would ya do that?" replied Tony cheekily.

"Like this!" And Gibbs lunged forward, playfully chopping Tony in the tummy calling 'hi ya' each time.

Tony grabbed his arm, and using it for leverage, managed to scale Gibbs' back so that he was hanging off his shoulders, his legs wrapped around the older man's waist. Gibbs reached around and, grabbing Tony's leg, swung him upside like he had done the day at the park and began to tickle him.

"No, No, not again!" screamed Tony.

"Ya shouldn't start what ya can't finish Tony," laughed Gibbs has he bounced and tickled him all the way into the house.

The rest of the week past relatively disaster free. Wednesday and Thursday were spent painting Tony's room and putting up some extra shelves. The wooden furniture that had adorned Kelly's room was repainted and made ready for Ziva, once her room had been decorated. It was decided that Tony would take most of the furniture that was currently in the spare room.

On Thursday afternoon, Gibbs had taken the children to a bedding store and ordered two new mattresses for them. The ones in the spare room were getting old and new ones would give them better support. Forty-five minutes later, Gibbs exited the store practically dragging Tony and Ziva behind him as he marched them to the car. "I am never going mattress shopping with you two again. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?" he growled at them, but they could see a twinkle in his eye.

"What?" asked Tony innocently, running to keep up with Gibbs' furious pace. "She told us to try them out. We were just making sure they were the right fit."

"I don't think she meant to check them for fart sound-proofing Tony," admonished Gibbs.

Ziva giggled remembering the look on the sale's assistant's face when Tony asked if the mattresses were sound proof. When the young girl ask what he meant he proceeded to lie on the bed and let out the loudest fart she had ever heard.

"Not bad," Tony had mused, "I may need to try another though." Which he did much to the woman's dismay then called Ziva to do the same thing. Although not in the same league as Tony, Ziva had managed to effectively clear the room and, looking innocently at Gibbs, had said, "Daddy, I think you need to feed us something more than cabbage. It's not the best thing for my tummy." Gibbs rarely blushed, but he had managed to turn a spectacular shade of crimson, before quickly ordering two mattresses and high-tailing it out of there.

Later that afternoon, while he was working in the basement trying to forget about mattress fiasco, Gibbs heard soft footfalls on the stairs.

Looking up from the design he was currently working on, he was greeted with two solemn little faces.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Um…." began Tony, always the delegate. "We, that is, me and Ziva, wanted to ask you something."

Gibbs put his pencil down and swivelled in his chair so he was giving them his full attention. "Ok, shoot?"

"Today in the store," continued Tony. "You know that lady who was serving us?"

Gibbs stared at him incredulously. "How could I forget?" he replied sarcastically.

"Well yeah," grinned Tony. "Um… anyway…. at one point I called you Boss and she looked at us really strangely and Ziva said there was a couple nearby who also heard and the woman said to her husband something like 'fancy making his children call him Boss?' so, me and Zi got to thinking and we were wondering if…um…" Tony trailed off not sure of what to say or how it might be received.

Gibbs, realising where this conversation was headed, smiled at the two of them and said. "It's ok Tony. Just say what you need to. Don't be afraid to ask for something."

"Well, we were wondering if you would mind if we called you Dad." Tony looked up to gauge Gibbs' reaction. "Like, just when we're out and stuff so that people don't think we're weird or anything."

Resisting the urge to say that people would think them weird regardless, Gibbs replied, "That would be fine Tony so long as it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable, I'm fine with that."

"Really?" asked Tony. "I thought it might make you feel, well you know, with Kelly and all…" Again his voice trailed off.

"Tony," began Gibbs, "I've thought of you as a son for a long time now, not just since you regressed. As I said the other day, you're family. The same goes for you Ziva," he looked at the little girl whose brown eyes were fixed on him. "And Abby and Tim. I think of all of you as my kids. So, no Tony, it wouldn't worry me at all if you called me Dad. In fact, it'd make me proud."

Tony grinned, his face alight with joy. Gibbs thought of him as a son. He hardly knew what to say. Thankfully Ziva spoke, negating the need for him to speak at all.

"What about when we're at home?" she began timidly, "Is it alright for us to call you Dad here sometimes as well?"

Gibbs picked her up and placed her on his lap. Holding out his arm, he drew Tony in close as well. "Guys, you can call me Dad whenever and wherever you want. Ya got that?"

Both children nodded. Always ready with a smart ass retort, Tony added looking at Ziva, "Phew, glad we went with my idea." He then looked at Gibbs. "She wanted to call you Gramps."

"I did not Tony!" Ziva leapt off Gibbs lap and started to chase Tony up the stairs.

"Hey!" yelled Gibbs. "No running on the stairs."

Turning back to his work Gibbs couldn't help the huge grin that spread across his face.


	13. Little Boy Lost

**AN - If you like de-age fiction, please see "When Ziva Regresses" by Fee4444. It's a great read :)**

**You will notice towards the end of this chapter that Gibbs is talking to Tony on an adult level. This is because Tony is analysing things as his adult self. While Ziva is beginning to spend more time acting like a 5 year old, Tony still spends a lot of time in his adult mind. This is why Gibbs is more reluctant to treat him like a child. There are times when Tony is emotionally 10, such as the bedroom scene with the mattress, or wanting to spend the night in his room, but Tony hasn't quite made that transition into childhood just yet. This is something that will be explored more in coming chapters. Just thought I'd mention it before people started getting upset that Gibbs is being too harsh or blunt with his words. It's the same with the final scene. Tony is grieving not as a ten year old, but as an adult.**

**Enjoy**

Chapter 13 - Little Boy Lost

Friday morning Gibbs, Tony and Ziva spent the time sorting out the furniture in the spare room and adding what was needed into Tony's new room. They had managed to shift everything except the bed and wardrobe. Gibbs would need another adult to help with those. The paint was now dry and Tony was eager to spend the night in his new room.

"Not tonight Bud," said Gibbs when Tony asked him if this could be his first night.

'Ohh! Why not?" whined Tony. "The paint's dry."

"Yes, but the smell is still very strong in here," reasoned Gibbs. "You'll wake up with a headache." Seeing the look of disappointment on Tony's face he relented and said, "How about we make up your new bed in here tonight and you can give it a go. If it gets too much you can come back to your bed in your old room? How does that sound?"

Tony's grin lit up his face. "Thanks Bo…Dad," He said. It was the first time Tony had called Gibbs that since their talk the previous afternoon and it made Gibbs surge with pride to hear it.

As Tony headed back into his old room, Gibbs mumbled under his breath, "You two are seriously turning me soft. Jen'd have a field day."

Following Tony, he was just about to grab the pile of clothes Tony had pulled out of the wardrobe, when they heard a knock at the door.

"Hey, that might be your mattresses being delivered," said Gibbs, heading out the room and down the stairs. As he opened the door, he was greeted by two large men, each hidden behind a plastic covered single mattress.

"Two mattresses for Gibbs?" the larger of the men spoke.

"Thanks," replied Gibbs. "Just bring 'em in here and lean 'em up against the wall." Gibbs signed the delivery sheet and the two men left. He was just about to lug one of the mattresses upstairs with Tony's eager help when there was a second knock at the door.

He looked at Tony who shrugged and said, "Maybe it's that fart proof sheet I tried to order."

"God, don't remind me," groaned Gibbs.

Tony stepped up to open the door when he noticed the shiny new lock now attached. "Hey, when did that go on?" he asked, his hand still gripping the handle.

"Last night while you two were sleeping," replied Gibbs. "Are ya gonna open the door or what Tony?"

"Yes! I'm just taking note of your magnificent handiwork." He opened the door and exclaimed. "Hey it's McGeek!" He stepped aside but on seeing Tim looking at the mattresses, he retorted, "Welcome to Hotel Gibbs, where the food is cheap, the children are annoying and the owner is a grumpy old man who makes you carry your own mattress. Just take your choice and head on up, first door on the left."

"Ignore him McGee," grumbled Gibbs, rolling his eyes at Tony. "Come on through."

They headed into the kitchen and Gibbs refilled the coffee machine. Then all three of them sat down at the table. "So what brings you here?" asked Gibbs looking at Tim.

"Well," began Tim, "The Director told me to finish up this morning so I thought I'd come around and see if you needed a hand with anything?"

"Finish up?" repeated Tony. "Did you get fired? Ahh," he said, mock realisation dawning on his face. "Did they finally find out you've been hacking into the pentagon and stealing secrets for your new book, McHemmingway?"

"No Tony," replied Tim with the usual exasperation he reserved only for Tony. "Didn't Gibbs tell you?"

"Gibbs talk? Speak words? Wash your mouth out Probie!" replied Tony flippantly.

"Thought I'd leave that to you Tim," said Gibbs giving Tony a 'watch it or else' look.

"I'm taking some leave without pay," began Tim. "Thought I'd take the opportunity to work on my next novel."

"Hmmm, Cyber Crimes not want ya huh?"

"No. I'm just struggling to find time to devote to my second book so this was the perfect solution."

"Writer's block," sighed Tony nodding his head knowingly.

"It's not writer's block. I just need time to focus. So Boss," said Tim turning to Gibbs, effectively changing the subject to avoid Tony's constant teasing. "Do you want a hand with anything, maybe those mattresses downstairs?"

"Yeah, that'd be good McGee. Thanks." Gibbs stood to pour some coffee and looking out the window said, "Have you seen Ziva, Tony? I thought she was going to work on the puzzle."

"Nope," replied Tony. "Maybe she's outside?"

"Yeah, can't see her though." Gibbs walked to the side door and stepped out. "Ziva, you out here?" he called loudly.

"Yes!" came a tiny response. She sounded a fair distance away. Gibbs was curious and stepped into the middle of the garden.

"Where are you?" he called.

"Up here," returned the tiny voice.

Gibbs followed the direction of her voice and found himself standing below the large oak tree he and Tony had thought would make a good tree house. Looking up he was horrified to see Ziva sitting on one of the upper branches, at least thirty-five feet high, swinging her legs without a care in the world.

"Hi," she said innocently as she waved down to him.

Resisting the urge to panic, Gibbs said calmly, "Are you able to get yourself down?"

"Of course," she replied haughtily.

"Right, well, can you do that now please?" Gibbs was using all his self control not to scale the tree and drag her down. He didn't care if she had done this a thousand times before, she wasn't going to do it on his watch.

"Why?" she whined. "It's nice up here."

"Ziva," he warned. His patience was definitely wearing thin.

"OK," she grumbled. She stood up, and as Gibbs held his breath, she carefully stepped down to a thinner branch, sat on it and proceeded to swing upside down. Grabbing the branch below her with her hands, she released her legs so that they swung down to the branch below her hands. She continued this way for several feet. Still holding his breath, Gibbs was convinced she could have represented Israel in the Olympics. When she reach a height of around 6ft, she stood tall and called down, "Catch me!" Thankfully he was prepared because she certainly gave him no extra warning but simply launched herself into his arms. Emitting a huge sigh of relief when she was finally safe in his arms, he carried her to the outdoor setting and stood her on the table so they were eye to eye.

"Ok, Kiddo," he began. "I get that you've probably done that hundreds of times both as an adult and as a child in Israel, but I'm sorry, that is the last time you will do it while I am looking after you." His voice remained calm, a stark contrast to the thumping in his heart. "That was far too high Ziva and you just aged me ten years." He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the disappointed look in her face. "I'm not saying you can't climb the trees, but I'm going to put a paint mark on all the trees as a guide of how high you can go. Considering you're about 3ft tall, I think 15ft is high enough.

"But Daaaad," she whined

"Sorry Ziver, not negotiable. It's not safe. I am not prepared to let you take those kinds of risks. OK?"

She crossed her arms and huffed.

"I mean it Ziva. If you go against me on this one I will spank you. Understand?"

"Yes," she sighed.

"Good girl." He lifted her off the table and headed back into the kitchen with Ziva trailing sulkily behind him.

"Hi Ziva," greeted Tim. "What's up?" He could see she wasn't looking too happy about something.

"He won't let me climb trees!" She pointed accusingly at Gibbs as he refilled his coffee and sat down.

"That's not what I said young lady and you know it." He could see Tony and Tim looking at him questioningly. "You know that oak tree in the back yard?" he asked looking at Tony. "How high would you say it is?"

"About 40, maybe 50 feet," Tony estimated.

"Well madam here decided she would scale to thirty-five feet for an all round view of the neighbourhood."

"I've been higher." Ziva pouted. "I was actually coming down when you called me, so there!"

Tim, not sure how to deal with this pint sized Ziva, looked from Tony to Gibbs. Tony just grinned at him and said in a stage whisper. "Our mini assassin doesn't like being told no. She get's quite feisty. Don't ya Zee-vah?" he teased.

"Leave it Tony," warned Gibbs. "So Tim, you ready to start dragging some mattresses upstairs?" Gibbs asked, changing the subject before world war three erupted.

"Ahh yeah, sure Boss," replied Tim rising and following Gibbs into the living room leaving Tony and Ziva in the kitchen. "Ahh, is she er… often like that Boss?" asked Tim still surprised by Ziva's attitude.

"That's nothing McGee. Ziva is stubborn and strong willed at the best of times, but with the self control of a five year old, well let's just say, life has been interesting."

"And Tony? How's he dealing with it?"

"Better than Ziva, so far. He's actually been pretty good but I'm sure he's going to start pushing soon. I don't think it's really hit him yet. We'll see. I wish he'd curb his teasing of Ziva though. He forgets she can't take it like she used to. One of these days she's really going to hurt him. Speaking of which, "Tony!" called Gibbs not wanting to risk leaving the two of them alone while Ziva was in a 'mood'. "Come and give us a hand."

They heard a chair being scraped back and were soon greeted by Tony's cheerful grin. The three of them headed to the first mattress and, with Gibbs taking one end and Tim the other, Tony decided he was best placed in the middle, arms gripping each side and the mattress resting on his head like a very large sombrero.

Taking the first one into Tony's new room, Tim looked around. "Hey boss, this looks great. Was this…" His question was left hanging as Tony kicked him to shut him up. "So whadya think Probie? Chose the colours myself." Realising Tony had saved him from putting his foot in it, Tim replied gratefully. "Looks good Tony. Have you just finished it, still smells of paint?"

"Yeah, we finished the painting yesterday and Dad and I put the furniture in this morning. Just got the bed and cupboard to go."

"Dad?" questioned Tim.

"Ahh yeah," replied Tony sounding a little self conscious. "Zi and I thought it was better than the strange looks we got from people when we called him boss."

Tim nodded his understanding.

"You two gonna stand here all day chatting about the décor?" asked Gibbs sarcastically. "Still got another mattress to bring up."

"Yeah, on it Boss," replied Tim, heading out the door and down the stairs. Gibbs smirked at Tony and, putting his arm around his shoulder, they followed Tim downstairs.

When they reached the bottom, Ziva was standing there. "Can I help?" she asked.

"Sure can," replied Gibbs. "While we three take it up, you can sit on top and supervise. How's that sound?"

"I think I would like that," she replied with a self-satisfied grin.

"Yeah, thought you might," grinned Gibbs. As Tim grabbed the top end of the mattress, he went up about three steps. Holding the bottom end with one hand, Gibbs used his other arm to scoop up Ziva. He then placed her on top of the mattress.

"Now, hold on tight," he cautioned. Ziva giggled as she sat up on her knees. She looked like she was riding a flying carpet. Tony took his place underneath and, as they made their way up the stairs, he kept pushing his head up into the mattress effectively bouncing Ziva as they walked. Gibbs knew she was perfectly safe, hell she'd just scaled a 40ft tree, but should she slip, he could easily catch her. The mattress wasn't that heavy, it was more awkward.

As they made their way into what was going to be Ziva's room, the mattress was laid on the floor next to Tony's old bed and Ziva hopped off saying, "That was fun!"

"Hey Zi, watch this," said Tony and before anyone realised what he was about to do, he stood on the bed, turned backwards and, holding out his arms, let his body free fall onto the mattress below.

"Tony!" yelled Gibbs, lunging forward and catching him before he hit the mattress. "Do you have a death wish? That mattress is not thick enough to support you. You could have broken your back!"

Gibbs resisted the urge to swat Tony's backside. He knew he deserved it, but with Tim standing there, it would defeat the purpose and only serve to humiliate Tony.

"What?" asked Tony incredulously as Gibbs stood him upright. "I used to do that all the time!"

"How the hell you two made it to adulthood amazes me!" exclaimed Gibbs. "Aren't I grey enough?"

Tony and Ziva just looked at each other, shrugged and giggled.

Tim stayed to have some lunch and then helped to sort out the beds. The shifting around of the beds had evolved into a logistics nightmare and Gibbs was very grateful Tim was there to lend a hand, especially considering two of the beds needed to be taken apart and put back together again once they were in their rightful place. Tony's old bed was moved into his new room and the new mattress added. Then it was made up with fresh sheets and a new doona cover. Kelly's old bed, which had been repainted a soft lilac was already in Ziva's room but, now the paint was dry, needed to be made up ready for her to sleep in that night. Finally, they had decided that since Tony had the bigger room, the bed that Ziva had been using was taken apart and then reassembled into Tony's room as a spare. That just left the old mattress from Tony's bed. Deciding it would normally live under Ziva's bed as a spare, for tonight it was left out should Tony find the paint smell too strong and need to vacate his room during the night.

It was an exhausted Tim who stood on the threshold around 5pm as Gibbs thanked him for his help. Not only had they managed to organise the beds, but Tony's wardrobe had also been successfully relocated.

"Gonna have everyone round on Sunday for lunch. Hope to see you there," said Gibbs as Tim turned to leave.

"Er, thanks Boss. That'd be great. See you then." He nodded goodbye and Gibbs shut the door, remembering to lock it before he turned away.

As he walked through the living room on his way to the kitchen, he smiled at the sight of Ziva curled up on the sofa fast asleep. He made a mental note to wake her in half an hour. He didn't want her up all night. Entering the kitchen he saw Tony sitting at the table drinking a glass of juice and, pouring what was probably his tenth coffee for the day, sat down next to him.

"Long day," said Gibbs as he took a sip.

"Long week," replied Tony. "Do you realise this time last week, we were still going through those awful transformations. I gotta tell ya, I was as scared as all hell."

"Yeah, me too," admitted Gibbs.

Suddenly Tony blurted, "I should've been quicker. I shouldn't have let him get the upper hand." He stared at Gibbs.

"Tony, you did everything you should have. You cleared each room, you used caution. He had two darts ready, firing both at the same time. Your reactions were spot on. He was dead before the dart even hit you. You can't be any quicker than that."

"Yeah I can. I should've shot him before he took aim. What if the darts had been bullets?"

"Then you'd probably be dead, Ziva too," said Gibbs bluntly. Seeing Tony's look, he continued. "Tony, every time we enter a building with an armed suspect, we take a risk. We do everything in our power to ensure our safety, but sometimes the other bastard is quicker. You know that as well as I do. It could just as easily been me and Tim that coped those darts."

Tony laughed and when Gibbs looked at him, he said. "I'm just imagining you as a ten year old Boss. So… er, who would you have stayed with, me or the Director?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"You may want to remember I still owe you a spanking for that stunt you pulled in the bedroom earlier. Besides, you guys lost about 23 years? I reckon that puts me back in my prime. My good old marine days!" finished Gibbs.

Tony smiled then said thoughtfully, "Why didn't you spank me earlier? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful and everything, but…" he trailed off.

"Because McGee was there," said Gibbs simply. "A spanking is designed to teach you something, preferably to think before attempting the same thing again. It's not meant to humiliate you. And, if I'd spanked you in front of Tim, that's all you would have remembered. It wouldn't have served its intended purpose."

Tony nodded. "Thanks," he said. Then added cheekily, "I'll have to remember to put myself in danger more often when Probie's around."

"There's nothing stopping me taking you into another room mister," replied Gibbs ominously. "Let's just say you've now used your 'get out of jail free' card and leave it at that."

"Fair enough," agreed Tony taking a drink of juice.

"So, how have you found this week?" asked Gibbs when Tony had returned the glass to the table.

"How do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I've been impressed. You've handled things pretty maturely considering what's happened. I know you're older than Ziva, but sometimes, if it wasn't for the fact that you barely reach my shoulder, I'd forget that you're now only ten. But you must be feeling something?"

"I don't know." Tony shrugged. "I guess things have been pretty busy this week, what with the painting and sorting out the rooms and stuff. Haven't had time to think about it. Besides, you've had your hands full with Ziva." He laughed. "She er… tests the limits doesn't she?"

"Not talking about Ziva now," said Gibbs, not allowing Tony to shift the conversation away from himself. "I want to know what's going on in your head."

"I don't know. I….I don't really want to talk about it." Tony looked down.

"That's ok Tony. I'm not going to force you," Gibbs replied. "But this is happening to you too. I know Ziva's little and she can be quite demanding..." Tony snorted reaffirming what Gibbs was thinking and encouraging him to say what he needed. "But that doesn't mean she's any more important than you. Yes, she has taken up more of my time this week but I don't want that to be at your expense. If you need to talk, or yell, or scream, go ahead."

"Yeah right," exclaimed Tony incredulously.

"What?" asked Gibbs. "You don't think you can do any of those things."

"If I started yelling and screaming, you'd pack me off on the first bus outta here. I know I would if I were you." Tony looked at Gibbs. "That's the rule, you make trouble, you find a new place to live!"

"Whose rule Tony?"

"Anyone's rule. The last thing you need is a kid causing you trouble." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Do you think Ziva has caused trouble this week?" asked Gibbs calmly.

"Well yeah, but she's had a lot to deal with. Sounds like her Dad was a real charmer when she was growing up."

"Yeah and yours was a real peach?" Gibbs was being deliberately sarcastic, hoping it would evoke some reaction from Tony.

"Well at least he didn't beat me with a stick," replied Tony, anger beginning to surge.

"No, he just ignored you, sent you away and then cut you off completely. Abuse doesn't have to be physical Tony. Neglect and being emotionally absent can be more devastating than a beating." Gibbs watched as Tony absorbed that piece of information.

"Ok, so yes, Ziva has caused quite a lot of trouble this week," Gibbs continued getting back to his original point. "So should I send her away?"

"Course not," replied Tony rolling his eyes again. "I know where ya going with this?"

"Well good, it'll save me some words," retorted Gibbs. "So why are you any less important than Ziva? If I wouldn't send her away, why would I send you away?"

Tony shrugged.

"No, come on Tony, think about it," prodded Gibbs. "You said it yourself. I wouldn't send Ziva away. Yet, you assume if you cause trouble, that's what I'll do to you!" Gibbs could see tears beginning to well in Tony's eyes and he softened. "Tony, I'm not trying to be a bastard. I just want you to see that you aren't any less important than Ziva. And, if for whatever reason, you need to yell or scream, then I want you to feel safe enough to do that. The worse thing it will get you is a time out, not a bus pass." Tony smiled at these last words.

"Yeah, Ok," he sighed. "I don't feel any less important than Ziva. I just don't want to screw up. You've done so much for me and I don't mean just this week. The last five years have been the best years of my life. I…I finally feel like I belong somewhere. But…" he shrugged again. "But, I'm scared I'll lose it all."

"Do you know why?" asked Gibbs.

"Why I'm scared?" answered Tony confused.

"Yeah, that, and why you think you'll lose it all?"

"No, not really," Tony looked at Gibbs. "Do you?" he asked accusingly.

"Yeah," replied Gibbs emphatically. "You're scared because last time you were this age, you did lose it all. You lost your Mom, your Dad was never really there for you anyway, but when you needed him the most, he rejected you. He sent you away, effectively telling you you're a waste of time and not important enough to deal with. And to top it off, at the age of twelve he took away your connection to your family name by cutting you off completely. That's a hell of a lot to deal with."

Gibbs could see that Tony was now crying silently. He held out his hand and, taking Tony's arm, he pulled him gently out of his chair and lifted him on to his lap.

Tony tried to pull away and hop down saying, "I'm too big for this."

"No you're not. You're never too big to be held and loved," said Gibbs soothingly wrapping his arm around Tony's waist . "Tony, no matter what you do or what you say, you can't stop me caring about you. You can test that if you want. You can push me as much as you like. I may put you in time out, I may even put you over my knee, but I'll never stop caring about you and I'll never send you away. As I said to Ziva the other day, I'm not your Father, but I'm more than happy to be your Dad."

"Why?" asked Tony, looking up into Gibbs eyes, his own swimming with tears.

"Because I love you Tony," replied Gibbs.

And that was it, pure and simple. As he let those words wash over him, Tony felt his chest tighten and before he knew it, he was cradled in Gibbs' arms, crying like he'd never cried before. Crying for the childhood he had lost, crying for the little boy who never felt loved or wanted and, finally, crying for the man who now had a second chance at being loved.


	14. Acceptance

**Thank you so very much for all your wonderful reviews. I am truly overwhelmed.**

Chapter 14 – Acceptance

Tony awoke on Saturday morning feeling reasonably refreshed. He had managed to spend the whole night in his new room and, other than opening the windows at around 1am, hadn't found the paint smell too bad. He did have a slight headache, but that could just as easily be from all the crying he'd done last night.

Thinking back to how Gibbs had held him, Tony started to feel a little embarrassed. The last time he'd been held on someone's lap he'd been seven. It was when his mother had told him she was sick. But last night, Gibbs had not only sat him on his lap. He'd told him he loved him and cradled him like a baby while he sobbed. He felt his cheeks flush at the memory. It wasn't as if he was really ten either, he was actually 33 in a ten year old body and lately, that 33 year old mind had begun to betray him. He was spending more time thinking and acting like a ten year old these days. The problem was, there was a part of him that enjoyed being ten again. He liked it when Gibbs held him upside down and tickled him, he liked rough housing with him and, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he liked Gibbs holding him and cradling him while he cried. Putting his head in his hands, Tony cringed. He'd have to apologise, he couldn't have Gibbs thinking he was a 'namby pamby' still needing a wet nurse.

Getting out of bed, Tony went to the bathroom. Washing his hands, he shook them dry as he padded up the hall. Passing Ziva's room, he peeked in. Her bed was empty and her pyjamas were strewn over the floor. Gibbs' bed was also empty so, assuming they were both in the kitchen, he headed downstairs.

As he entered the room, he saw Gibbs sitting at the table working on the puzzle. "Try putting the ground pieces in the sky, it really gets her going!" Tony remarked as Gibbs looked up.

"Hey sleepy head," greeted Gibbs. "You want some breakfast?"

"Yeah thanks," Tony replied taking a seat at the table. Gibbs put a bowl, the cereal box and some milk in front of him, then poured him a glass of juice.

"Where's Zi?" asked Tony, pouring the cereal and milk into his bowl.

"Outside," replied Gibbs. "I've put some paint marks on the trees so she knows how high she can go. She's not impressed and is currently making a point by climbing each tree as quickly as she can, to prove how easy it is!"

Tony laughed. Yep, that sounded like Ziva.

"So, how'd ya sleep last night? Paint wasn't too strong?" asked Gibbs as Tony started eating.

Tony shook his head, his mouth too full of cereal to speak. When he'd swallowed, he looked sheepishly at Gibbs and said, "Um, I'm sorry about last night. I er…made a bit of an ass of myself." Tony looked down embarrassed.

Gibbs was afraid this might happen. Tony was not one to open up easily and he knew the boy would feel awkward about it. He was determined though to prove to Tony that his actions were perfectly acceptable.

"Tony," began Gibbs. "Last night you allowed yourself to grieve. You took the first steps to healing and that is not making an ass of yourself."

"Yeah, but I blubbered like a baby. All because you said you, you…." he couldn't say it.

"I said I loved you," supplied Gibbs.

"Yeah, that," Tony blushed beetroot red and looked down into his cereal bowl. "God, how embarrassing. Having to be cradled like a baby in my boss' arms. McGeek would have a field day. You won't tell him will you?" Tony looked up horrified at the thought.

"What, tell him that you were upset, that you needed comfort, that your 'Dad' held you in his arms, told you he loved you and cradled you?" asked Gibbs.

"Wasn't quite like that," refuted Tony.

"That's exactly what it was like. And I'll tell you something else for free. It's not that last time it's gonna happen either. I realised last night that you need just as much comfort and affection as Ziva does. I don't care if you're ten or thirty three, we all need comfort. We all need to feel loved."

Gibbs looked down then said quietly, "When I lost Shannon and Kelly, I cried like a baby and, if someone had offered me a comforting hand, I would have grabbed it. But, like you, I acted like nothing bothered me and I bottled it up and got on with things. Mike Franks was a great mentor but he could be a hard-assed, sarcastic son-of-a-bitch sometimes and I realised I was treating you the same way. Maybe as a adult, it wasn't so out of place, but as a child, you don't need that and you certainly don't deserve it."

Tony could only stare as he listened to Gibbs words. Then he said, "I don't mind ya know, I mean the head slaps and sarcasm. It never worried me, kind of made me feel special, sorta."

"I know," nodded Gibbs, "and as long as you keep up with the smart ass responses and goofing around, that'll probably continue, well maybe not the head slaps while you're ten. But, I agree, that's kind of what makes us, us. But that doesn't mean I don't love you any less. And, when I feel you need it, I will hug you, I will hold you and I will make sure you know you are loved and appreciated. Ok?"

Tony nodded, "Thanks Dad," he said.

"That's fine Son," replied Gibbs and he tousled Tony's hair as he got up to wash the dishes.

They spent the morning getting Ziva's room ready for painting by washing down the walls with sugar soap and covering the newly painted furniture with dust sheets.

"Where am I going to sleep, while we paint the room," asked Ziva as they placed a dust sheet over the dressing table.

"You can sleep in Tony's new room on the spare bed. It should only be for a couple of nights," answered Gibbs.

She nodded and smirked at Tony.

"Don't think the old mattresses are fart sound proof Tony. They're definitely not smell proof," she teased.

"Dad!" exclaimed Tony, looking to Gibbs for help.

"Don't come to me. You started that one. Besides, at least it won't smell of paint any more."

"Gross!" muttered Tony. Then he turned to Ziva and threatened, "You fart in my room and I'll sit on your head and let rip with the biggest and smelliest one ever. You'll be wishing…

"Enough," called Gibbs. "The next person to mention farting will be cleaning the head for a month. Got it?" he looked sternly at the two children but the twinkle hadn't left his eyes.

"It's a natural bodily function Dad," remarked Tony innocently.

"Not the way you two use it," quipped Gibbs. "The Government should bottle it and market it as a weapon of mass destruction."

Looking at each other, Tony and Ziva erupted into a massive fit of giggles. They both collapsed on the floor, rolling around holding their stomachs.

Gibbs looked at them and shook his head. It really wasn't that funny he thought. Then thinking back to Kelly and her friends, he remembered how, at this age, toilet humour was the height of hilarity. Leaving them to it, he left the room and realised this was the first time he had been reminded of Kelly and it hadn't made him sad. Maybe we're all healing, he thought to himself.

_-N-C-I-S-_

After they had eaten lunch and while Ziva and Tony had cleared the table and washed the dishes, Gibbs made a few phone calls to the team to invite them around for lunch tomorrow. He had meant to do it last night but with Tony being so upset, it had slipped his mind. His plan was to have a barbecue, cook some burgers and steaks, add a bit of lettuce and tomato, nothing fancy. Well that was until he spoke with Abby.

"Cool Bossman," was Abby's response when he rang her. "I'll bring some salads and a desert. I've been reading about this new health plan and it says you should eat a good supply of legumes with every meal so I've been wanting to try out this new recipe. It's a black eyed pea salad with grilled pineapple. Not to be confused with the band The Black-Eyed Peas but then you'd probably not have heard of them anyway….",

"Abs," said Gibbs cutting her off, "I don't even know what the hell a legume is!"

"Oh Gibbs," sympathised Abby. "How much you miss. Legumes are the greatest. There's peas, beans, lentils and interestingly enough, peanuts but not other nuts. Do you know why that is? I do, but I'll save that for another day. Anyway, so yeah, I'll bring the black eyed pea salad and oh, I know I'll make a tabouli lentil salad, Ziva will love it. Now what about dessert? Oh, I've got just the thing! My Great Aunt Lou Lou's Peach-Pecan Pie. It's to die for, well not literally obviously but, it's pretty good."

Gibbs knew he had let her ramble on far longer than he would have normally. But he had missed her and it was good to hear her voice, even if it was going at a hundred miles and hour.

"Don't go to too much trouble Abs," said Gibbs. He could see this getting bigger than Ben-Hur. "I was just going to cook up some burgers and steaks."

"Gibbs," she said gently, "We can't all be carnivores like you. I'm sure Ziva and Director Shepherd will appreciate some plant life. Well, that is assuming Director Shepherd is coming?" She paused, waiting for Gibbs to confirm. When the silence continued she asked, "She is coming right?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes, despite the fact that Abby couldn't see him and said "Yes, Abs, Director Shepherd has been invited and, providing nothing comes up, plans to be there tomorrow."

He heard Abby sigh with relief and say, "Phew, 'cause that's important Gibbs. You know, she's all alone in that big townhouse of hers and I bet she'd appreciate the company of a good man. Hey, you should make an effort to have her around regularly. Maybe once a week? I could cook up something for you both and…"

"Goodbye Abby," interrupted Gibbs. He hung up and grinned. Only Abby, he sighed to himself.

The afternoon was spent getting supplies for the barbecue tomorrow and making a start on Ziva's room. By dinner time, Gibbs and Tony had managed to apply the first coat of paint. Despite Ziva's insistence she wanted to help, she spent more time getting paint on herself and, in the end, Gibbs had sent her out suggesting she begin drawing up some plans for the tree house and climbing frame which, thankfully, she had done happily.

As Gibbs and Tony made their way into the kitchen for a drink, they found Ziva working on the puzzle. It was almost completed, with just a section of blue sky and the expanse of the brick wall to go.

"How about pizza for tea?" suggested Gibbs as he and Tony guzzled down a glass of water each.

"Good plan Dad," agreed Tony. "Pepperoni with extra cheese please!"

"Ziva?" asked Gibbs, waiting for her order.

"Um, I'll have Greek style with oregano leaves, feta, sundried tomatoes and olives please."

Tony looked at her and shook his head, "Health nut!" he teased."Why do you even bother Ziva? The idea of having pizza is to have something yummy as a treat."

"Mine is yummy," she argued. "Just because it's not dripping in fat and oil doesn't mean it can't be yummy. Isn't that right Daddy?" She waited for Gibbs to agree. Not wanting her to see how his heart had leapt at hearing her call him 'daddy', he replied, "Each to their own, Tony. That's why they're called individual serves."

Leaving the kitchen on the pretence of ordering the pizza, Gibbs stopped by the arm chair and took a deep breath. Having Tony call him Dad was one thing, but hearing Ziva's little voice utter the more childish 'Daddy' had really hit him for six. He didn't mind, in fact it was so beautiful to hear it again. It had just taken him by surprise. Taking out his cell to order the pizza, he turned to see Ziva standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I won't call you Daddy if you don't like it. I meant to say Dad but it just slipped out."

"Oh Sweetie," began Gibbs walking over to her and picking her up. "I won't lie to you, it did take me by surprise. But that doesn't mean it's wrong. I would love for you to call me Daddy. It's been a long time since anyone's called me that and I have missed it very much. Ok?"

"Ok," she said smiling and wrapping her arms around his neck she squeezed tightly.

"Augh!" groaned Gibbs jokingly. "You're gonna strangle me!"

She giggled and let go. Gibbs looked at her and smiled. "So, sundried tomatoes, olives, green leafy things, and goat's cheese? Is that right?"

"You're as bad as Tony." She crossed her arms, "It's feta and oregano,"

"Oh, of course it is," he replied. "Silly me,"

He put her down and looked carefully at her. "You, madam, are going to need an extra scrubbing tonight. You've managed to get paint everywhere. Abby'll think I've let you dye your hair purple if she sees you like this tomorrow. She'll be taking you out for tattoos next."

Ziva giggled and ran back into the kitchen saying, "Pizza first! Bath later!"

Gibbs smiled to himself. Thinking back to Tony's words yesterday, he had struck it lucky. His home was warm again, full of fun and laughter. He had two great kids in Tony and Ziva, and even if it only lasted a year, he was going to make the most of it.

Dialling the number for the pizza place, he headed back into the kitchen saying, "What's that green stuff called again?"

-N-C-I-S-

Sunday morning was glorious. A gentle breeze was blowing and the sun danced lazily over the back yard. With Tony and Ziva's help, Gibbs had set up two trestle tables ready for the food. Ziva had insisted on draping table clothes over them and, Gibbs had to admit, it did improve the look. They had spent the morning getting things ready. Gibbs had prepared the burger mince while Tony and Ziva cut up tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber ready to put on the buns. Ziva had also demanded they make a garden salad so Tony found himself having to cut up more tomato, cucumber, lettuce and carrot. He had initially complained, but seeing Ziva had a knife in her hand, albeit a rather blunt one, he felt it was in his best interests to comply with her wishes.

Once everything was ready, Gibbs told them to go upstairs and change into some clean clothes. In the excitement of getting everything ready that morning, Tony had thrown on his painting clothes from yesterday and Ziva hadn't even made it out of her pyjamas as yet. Despite being scrubbed within an inch of her life last night, she still had one or two spots of purple paint on her hands and arms. He thought back to last night. Having started the job on her own, Gibbs had smiled when, after ten minutes of scrubbing, Ziva had called out, "Daddy, I can't do this, can you please help." He had entered the bathroom and tried to avert his eyes as he used the wash cloth to scrub her tiny arms.

Watching him trying to look away while scrubbing her, Ziva had smiled and said, 'It's ok. You can look. It will make the job a lot easier if you're watching what you're doing."

He had smirked then and said, "Didn't want to embarrass you."

"You're not," she shrugged. "I don't look the same anyway."

He had admit, it was a lot easier after that. And, when the plug was pulled and she stood up ready to hop out, he didn't even think twice. He just grabbed the fluffy towel and wrapped it around her, lifting her out onto the bathmat and leaving her to dry herself and get dressed.

He had noticed that both of them, more often than not, were behaving in accordance with their regressed ages than their actual age. Ziva especially was now spending about ninety percent of her time in her five year old mind, her adult self rarely seen. Tony, he observed, still wavered between the two in equal parts, something he must surely find frustrating. Gibbs wondered if this was something Trentwood had designed in the serum, that over time, his victims were intended to regress emotionally as well. However, seeing as his only other living subjects were mice and rats and that Trentwood was dead, Gibbs concluded that he would never know for sure. Ziva and Tony would just have to take each day as it came. In all honestly though, he felt it would be so much easier on both of them if they could stay emotionally five and ten and not have the worry of all their adult baggage and memories to get in the way of their daily lives.

As he changed into a casual pair of jeans and a pale blue shirt, Gibbs listened to Tony and Ziva chatting away as they dressed. Due to her room being painted, Ziva was sleeping in Tony's room had managed to cart most of her wardrobe with her. "Who knows what the weather is going to be like? I need variety," she had insisted when he'd questioned whether she really needed all those clothes in Tony's room.

"You should wear that red shirt Tony. It looks good on you," Gibbs heard her say. He loved it when they were getting along. Tony was such a good 'big brother'. In some ways Gibbs envied the relationship. Like Tony, he had often wished for a sibling but, it wasn't to be. He did up the laces on his shoes and, running a comb quickly through his hair, left the bedroom to see how Tony and Ziva were coming along.

Tony had in fact listened to Ziva and was wearing the red shirt. Ziva was right, it did look good on him. With the blue jeans, black running shoes, and his hair brushed neatly, he looked very handsome. He was in the midst of trying to buckle up the straps on Ziva's overalls. They were tricky and had been the reason why Gibbs had argued with Jenny about her buying them last week. "But she looks so cute in them," Jenny had simpered. Gibbs had stared at her then. He'd never heard Jenny 'simper' over anything. But, it had worked and sure enough, they had left the store with the denim overalls in one of the bags. She was wearing a green shirt underneath. With her brown eyes, elfin face and long curly hair, he had to admit, she did look very cute in them. Looking at the pair of them, Gibbs was struck with how 'picture postcard' they appeared, like children from an old TV show, all charming and smiles. He smirked and reminded himself of the many arguments, punches and pinches these two also shared. Heading over to both of them, Gibbs crouched down and finished buckling the straps. "There," he said, standing up, "I think we make a pretty good lookin' threesome." They heard a knock at the door. "And, just in time too. Come on, let's greet our visitors."

As they headed downstairs, they heard the familiar sound of Abby's platforms clunking on the floor as she made her way into the kitchen. Gibbs had remembered to unlock the door that morning, knowing that his family were used to just wandering in. Following her, they watched as she stood by the table and pulled plate after plate from the large bag she was carrying until she finally reached the end.

"I said don't go to too much trouble Abs," admonished Gibbs as he walked in and kissed her on the cheek.

"I couldn't help it Gibbs! There were so many fun recipes to try I just couldn't stop. Anyway, doesn't matter you'll….OH MY GOD!" she shrieked. Tony and Ziva jumped, startled by Abby's cry. Turning around sharply to see what she was screaming about, they were suddenly engulfed in a suffocating hug.

"Can't breathe Abs," gasped Tony as he felt his lungs constrict.

Abby let them go then stepped back. "You two are just so adorable!" she exclaimed. "It's been nearly a whole week. I forgot how gorgeous you both were. Tony, that red shirt looks perfect on you and Ziva, those overalls are just the cutest thing ever!"

Tony and Ziva just stared at Abby. While they were no stranger to her exuberance, being in their smaller frames, her excitement was a little overwhelming.

Abby beamed at them, but when she received no response she faulted saying, "What's up? Are my pigtails crooked or something?" Her hands flew to her hair to check as she pulled on each pigtail in turn.

"No," said Tony. "You're just so…"

"Tall!" finished Ziva looking up into Abby's face.

"Uh ah," said Abby grinning. "I'm the same, it's you who's shrunk! Although, I am trying out a new pair of shoes," she said wiggling her foot so they could see. "And they're about two inches higher than my normal ones."

"Hey, look!" said Ziva bending down to touch Abby's platforms. "They've got little skulls on them. Oh Daddy," she shrieked turning to look up into Gibbs' eyes. "Can I have a pair of these? Pleeeeease!" she begged.

"I don't think so Ziva," said Gibbs. "It'd double your height!"

"Exactly!" replied Ziva.

"Aww, 'daddy', that's so cute," gushed Abby. "Now you are true Gibblettes!"

"Ew!" exclaimed Tony. "I don't want to be the offal from a chicken."

"No Tony," corrected Abby. "I mean you are little Gibbs' so you're Gibblettes. Get it?"

"He knows Abby," said Ziva crossly. "He's just pulling your toe!"

"Leg Ziva," corrected Tony.

"Whatever!" huffed Ziva poking out her tongue.

"Whatever!" mimicked Tony, doing the same.

"Shut up Tony!"

"Shut up Ziva!"

Gibbs closed his eyes in frustration. Remember the 'picture postcard', he reminded himself before saying loudly. "Ok you two, that's enough! Sounds like someone else has arrived. Go and see if they need a hand."

Still arguing, Tony and Ziva left the room and Gibbs smiled at Abby. "So how's ya week being Abs?" he asked.

Without warning, Abby suddenly flung her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly. He had to shift his head slightly so he didn't end up skewered from the spikes on her collar.

"I've missed you so much, Gibbs!" she blurted out. "I know you need to be here, but it's just not the same without you. And now Timmy's gone as well. Thank God I still have Ducky and Jimmy. But who's gonna bring me my Caf-Pows?"

Extracting himself from Abby's grip, Gibbs said, "I'll have to arrange something with Ducky or Director Shepherd. But in the meantime," he walked over to the fridge and opened it. "Will this help?"

"Oh Gibbs," sighed Abby, eyeing the six large cups of Caff-Pow sitting neatly on the shelf. "You are the supreme facilitator of good vibes!" She took the cup he offered her and sucked deeply through the straw.

"Only for you Abs," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

Their quiet moment was shattered with the sounds of excited chatter as Ducky, Tim, and Jenny entered, followed by Tony and Ziva who were excitedly telling anyone who'd listen about their new rooms.

"I have my own room now," Tony was heard saying. "It's been painted and everything."

"Me too," piped Ziva.

"And I have a new bed, well a new mattress," continued Tony.

"Me too!" added Ziva.

And I have an extra bed in my room so if any one of you ever wants to stay…" said Tony.

"Me too!" yelled Ziva. Then thinking about it she amended, "Well sort of, I have a spare mattress."

"Wow, you have been busy," remarked Jenny as she struggled her way into the kitchen, carrying a deck chair as well as a bowl of fruit salad.

"We have" remarked Ziva, "Tony and I were…"

"Ziva," said Gibbs, "Why don't you let our guests catch their breath before you bombard them with our busy week."

Ziva pouted. "It wasn't just me, Tony was talking too," she argued.

"I know, but you'll notice Tony has listened and has now stopped," replied Gibbs. He stepped forward to relieve Jenny of the fruit salad and Ducky of the bottle of wine he was carrying.

"Come and see my new room," said Ziva, ignoring Gibbs' request and pulling on Jenny's hand.

"How about, after lunch, you can both show me your new rooms," Jenny placated smiling at Tony and Ziva.

"No, I wanna show you now. Come on." insisted Ziva tugging Jenny's hand more firmly.

"Ziva," rebuked Gibbs. "Jenny said she would see it later." He gave her a warning look. "Let's just get everyone into the house first. OK?"

"They are in the house," sassed Ziva under her breath.

Seeing that Ziva was about two steps away from a time-out or worse, Jenny deflected the impending punishment by saying loudly, "Tim, what's that you've got there. It looks delicious."

Tim stepped forward and placed a large platter of various cheeses, dips and crackers on the table then turned to Gibbs.

"Hey Boss," he greeted. "Thought this might come in handy."

"Looks great Tim," acknowledged Gibbs. "We might make a start on that while the meat is cooking." He then looked over towards Jenny and mouthed _'Thank you'._

She smiled and returned _'You're welcome!'_

Tony leant over the table, taking in the huge platter. "Wow Probie, did you arrange this yourself? How very June Clever of you." As he reached out to grab a cracker, Gibbs smacked him lightly on the hand.

"Mitts off Tony," he said. "Let's at least get everything outside before we start demolishing the food."

"On it!" replied Tony cheerfully and proceeded to carry some of the plates outside. Taking their cue from Tony, everyone grabbed a plate or bowl and headed out the side door. As Ziva went to follow, Gibbs grabbed hold of the back of her overall straps and effectively stopped her in her tracks. He gave her a look which clearly told her to stay put. As the room cleared, it was soon only Gibbs, Ducky and Ziva in the kitchen.

"Hello Jethro," greeted Ducky warmly stepping forward and patting Gibbs on the shoulder. "How's fatherhood treating you? Not too taxing I trust?"

"Ah, fair to muddling Duck," replied Gibbs. "They have their moments." He looked down at Ziva who was now standing next to him, pouting with her arms crossed.

Ducky chuckled and, picking up his wine, followed the others out the side door.

Crouching down in front of Ziva, Gibbs uncrossed her arms and, holding her hands in his, he said sternly. "Don't think for one minute I won't put you in time out just because we have guests. Being disrespectful and arguing is not acceptable behaviour, ok?"

Ziva looked into his eyes, "I didn't mean to argue, I was just excited because everyone was here and I wanted to show them my new room."

"I know," said Gibbs patiently. "But when I asked you to wait a while, you became very disrespectful. If Jenny hadn't distracted everyone, you'd be sitting in timeout right now."

Ziva nodded her head. "Sorry Daddy," she said.

"That's Ok," he said releasing her hands and standing up. "Now how about you go and thank Jenny for saving your butt!" Gibbs suggested.

Turning her around, he sent her on her way with a not so gentle swat to her bottom. She squealed, then giggled as she skipped to the door passing Tony on his way back in to collect more things for the table outside. As Tony passed Gibbs, he was stopped mid step when the older man suddenly reached out and smothered him in a huge bear hug.

"Aughh," Tony yelled. "You been taking lessons from Abby?" When Gibbs finally released him, he said, 'What was that for?"

"That's for being the 'Good Child'," laughed Gibbs.

"Wow! Never been called that before!" remarked Tony looking into Gibbs' twinkling blue eyes.

"Well I appreciate it," said Gibbs. "I appreciate your cheerfulness, your happy, smiling face, and, dare I say it, even your smart alec comments." He paused, and then added with a laugh, "most of the time."

"Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, but what's brought this on?" asked Tony, a little confused by the compliments. "You been getting into the bourbon again?"

"Can't a dad just tell his son he appreciates him?" replied Gibbs.

"Well yeah, I guess," said Tony warily, "it's just not your usual style. Your idea of affection is normally a head slap and a glare. But hey, I'm not complaining. I'll take the new and improved Gibbs any day!"

Gibbs smiled at him again. "See, that's what I mean Tony, you make people smile. That's a good trait to have." He loaded Tony up with another plate, and grabbing one himself, he added, 'That doesn't mean you have to be happy all the time. I would love you no matter what. I'm just saying that I appreciate your cheerfulness."

"Yeah, well with Ziva's stubbornness and attitude lately, you're gonna need me to balance things out!"

Before heading out the door, Tony stopped and added, "Now Dad, just for future reference, should I, say, get into the bad books for whatever reason, I want you to remember this conversation. Me, 'good child', in need of many hugs!"

Gibbs bent down and, because his hands were full, he kissed Tony on the top of the head and said, "I'll remember."


	15. A battle of wills

**AN: A couple of points were brought up from the guest reviews. Firstly, there definitely will be more Gibbs/Jen interaction although I don't want this to become a romance fic so don't expect too much. And secondly, trust me, Tony will not be 'good' all the time. This chapter hopefully explains a little as to why he tries to please people, but as Jenny says, he will certainly do his fair share of testing when he feels safe enough to do so.**

**Thanks again for your input and feedback.**

**Please see the warnings listed for Chapter 1 before reading.**

Chapter 15 – A Battle of Wills

Gibbs sat back in his chair and stretched out his legs. Having just finished his second plate of food, he was quite content to relax and digest. The sun was warm, the breeze gentle and the happy sounds of people chatting made the afternoon perfect in his opinion. He smiled as he watched Tony and Tim playing Totem Tennis. Even with a height disadvantage, Tony was winning easily and was making sure Tim was well aware of this.

"Come on Probie!" grumbled Tony "The idea is to hit the ball back. It's tied to a piece of string, how hard can it be!"

"This is a ridiculous game Tony," complained Tim. "What's the point of me hitting it, when you just hit it back the other way unwinding all my hard work."

"You really don't get sports do ya McStatic?" said Tony. "It's a competition. We compete to see who can get the string to either the top or the bottom, in your case the top. Get it?"

"I know what to do Tony," argued Tim the frustration in his voice evident. "I just don't see the point."

Tony sighed. "Ok, so what do you want to do then?" he asked.

"Why can't we just sit with everyone else and relax?" suggested Tim.

"Because that's bor-ing!" whined Tony. "Come on! Stop being a prob-asaurus, live a little!"

"Yeah, well I'm going to live a little on that chair over there," said Tim, putting down the bat and walking back to the adults.

Tony sighed and, putting down his bat as well, he trudged behind Tim and made his way to Gibbs.

"What's up Bud?" asked Gibbs putting his arm around Tony as he leant against Gibbs' chair.

"I'm bored," he complained.

"Young man," began Ducky sitting up in his chair. "When was the last time you participated in a good game of cricket?"

"I'm not sure Ducky," Tony replied. "Probably never?"

"Well then, you haven't lived until you have enjoyed the gentlemen's game." Ducky rose and turning to Gibbs asked, "Do you perchance have a cricket bat in your armoury Jethro?"

"Yeah, he does," said Tony straightening up. "I found it when I was collecting the stuff for the park last week. Hang on, I'll go get it." And with that, he raced into the house.

Within two minutes Tony was back, cricket bat in hand. "We don't have any wickets though or a cricket ball," he said.

"Not to worry young Anthony," replied Ducky. "All we need are a couple of stout garbage bins and a tennis ball."

"Got those Duck," announced Gibbs getting up from his chair.

"Righto," said Ducky. "Let the match begin!"

Ducky, Tony, Tim and Gibbs set up the game along a large expanse of lawn. Placing the bins about 30ft apart to create wickets, Ducky looked for a couple of sticks to mark makeshift creases for each end. When he explained what he was doing Tony yelled, "Hang on, I have an idea!" He raced inside and returned shortly with a can of paint and a brush. "We can paint the line along the grass. Is that Ok, Dad?" He looked to Gibbs for confirmation.

"Fine Tony, paint's water based. I'm sure the grass won't mind being purple for a day or two."

The flurry of activity had sparked the curiosities of Jenny, Abby and Ziva who were now standing around eager to join in.

"Abs, if you plan to play, I'd suggest you take off your shoes," suggested Gibbs. "Otherwise you'll end up on your ass."

"Good point, El Jefe! Removing shoes as we speak." Sitting down on one of the chairs, she undid the many straps and buckles and with an almighty pull, yanked each shoe, along with a matching skull print sock, off in turn. Placing them on the ground she quickly returned to the game.

"Gee Abby," remarked Tony as he looked up at her. "You sure you didn't stab yourself with one of those darts? I reckon you've just shrunk five inches!"

"Funny boy," she teased grabbing his cheeks and squishing them into 'fishy lips'.

"Led me do!" he complained through his puckered mouth, making everyone laugh.

Turning to Jenny, Gibbs said, "Planning on playing in those heels Jen?"

"Jethro I have chased down suspects in heels higher than this as you well know!" she reminded him.

"Yep," he retorted. "But ya not as young as you were then. Balance may not be as good. Just saying."

"Hmph!" she huffed and swatted his arm playfully. However, when everyone was distracted, he noticed her quietly slip away and remove the three inch heels.

Seeing him smirking as she returned, she breezed past him muttering, 'There better not be any bees on this lawn!"

"I wanna take my shoes off too Daddy," said Ziva, plonking herself down in the middle of the grass and starting to undo the laces."

"No honey, you leave yours on. Jenny and Abby didn't have sensible shoes, you've got great running shoes on"

"But Daddy," she argued "I can run so much faster without them."

"And what if you step on a prickle or get stung by a bee? That won't be very nice will it?" Gibbs reasoned.

Ziva sat on the grass and Gibbs could see her little mind ticking over the information. He had to work very hard to resist smiling at her expression.

"Prickles?" said Abby loudly. "There's no pri…oomph!" She looked sharply at Tim who had just elbowed her in the stomach. "What the hell Timmy!" she began then saw him indicating Ziva with his eyes. Ziva was now looking at Abby and then back at Gibbs very suspiciously.

"Hey you're right Timmy," said Abby suddenly looking down intently. "There are prickles in here. I'm going to have to be very careful. Boy I wish I had good running shoes like Ziva," she said in an exaggerated tone.

"Come on you guys," called Tony impatiently. "Are we playing or what?"

"Yep, we're playing," said Gibbs picking up Ziva and depositing her on her feet. Come on Zi, you can help me catch the ball."

It was decided that Tony and Tim would be in to bat first while Ducky bowled. Everyone else spread themselves out ready to field.

"Alright young man," said Ducky to Tony who was tapping his bat on the ground ready to play. "Here are the rules of Backyard Cricket. Once you hit the ball you run to the other wicket, in our case, the black garbage bin and Tim, you must run to this wicket or the green garbage bin. That is counted as one run. If you feel it's a good enough shot, you can attempt to return. If the ball hits the fence or the house without bouncing first, it's counted as four runs. If it goes over the fence or on the roof, it's counted as 6 runs and you're out. The job of the fielders," at this point, Ducky raised his voice so everyone could hear, "is to either catch the ball on the full or hit the wickets, thus rendering the batter out. So, are there any questions?

Ziva's hand shot up.

"Yes my dear," acknowledged Ducky.

"What if the ball gets stuck in the tree?" she asked.

"That's a very good point young lady. Hmmm, well I think we could count that as a six and the batter is out," replied Ducky.

"But how do we get the ball back?" she continued. "Because I can only get it if it doesn't go any higher than the paint marks which is silly because I can climb way higher than that, but Daddy said I made him grow ten years and if I go past the paint he's gonna spank me which I don't think is very fair because the paint isn't very high but then the ball will be stuck up there forever."

As everyone laughed, Gibbs looked down into his little girl's stubborn face. He could see where she was heading with this and knew she wasn't going to let it go. Ziva was determined to prove a point and despite his warnings, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that some time in the near future, this 'tree climbing battle of wills' was going to end in tears.

"What!" shouted Ziva indignantly as her family laughed around her. "The ball will be stuck."

"Don't worry Ziva, I'll get the ball if it goes too high," reassured Gibbs.

"Come on!" shouted Tony impatiently. "Let's play already!"

As everyone took their assigned places, Ducky jogged a few paces away from the pitch and, making a big show of polishing the ball on his trousers, he then proceeded to run forward, swinging the ball overarm and releasing it. It headed straight for Tony, who gave it an almighty whack. The ball soared high and, hitting the large oak tree, rebounded spectacularly and hit Tim's garbage bin with a loud 'thwack!'

Everyone stood and stared, amazed at what had just happened.

"Does that mean Probie's out?" asked Tony.

"Well," flustered Ducky. "I don't think I've ever seen that happen before. Rather unfortunate really. Er…no…I don't think we'll send Timothy out just yet. How about we give that another try."

The next ball, when hit, bounced off the grass and headed in Abby's direction. Tony and Tim ran between the wickets managing to get two runs which had Tony facing the ball again. Between them, Tony and Tim managed to get 18 runs before Tony was bowled out by Jenny. Seeing as she was the one to make the successful hit, she became the next batter.

The game continued for a while with Jenny and Tim adding another 12 runs to the score. With Gibbs now bowling, Tim stepped up to the crease and waited for the ball. As it came toward him, he smashed the bat against it, sending it flying in Ziva's direction. Everyone held their breath as the ball hurtled towards her face. However, without an ounce of hesitation, she shot out her hand and made a perfect catch.

"I got it! I got it!" she shouted bouncing up and down.

"Way to go Ziva!" called Tony. "Ya still got those Ninja skills!"

"Out!" called Ducky and Tim handed the bat to Ziva. She took her place ready to bat. Gibbs, making sure the next bowl was underarm, threw it to her gently. Just as the ball reached her, she suddenly dropped the bat and started to run towards the house.

"I'll be back in a minute!" she yelled, disappearing through the kitchen door. When a few confused looks were exchanged, Jenny said, "Little girl's room I think."

This was confirmed when two minutes later Ziva reappeared and, jiggling up and down, called out desperately, "Quick Daddy, help me! I can't get the buckles undone!"

"I told you Jen!" he growled as he ran up to Ziva and undid them for her. When she disappeared back into the house, Gibbs returned adding, "I knew they were a bad idea."

"Maybe, but she does look cute!" appeased Jenny. Gibbs just rolled his eyes.

Tony took Ziva's place until she returned. Five minutes later, with the bib and straps hanging loosely, she raced out again and straight up to Gibbs who re-did the buckles for her. Once dressed, she took the bat and the game resumed.

They continued playing until, after a couple of hours, Ducky declared the game finished. Everyone had managed to have at least two turns at batting and Tim was announced as the overall winner having spent the most time at the crease.

"Probie, I think you've found your sport!" praised Tony, giving Tim a slap on the back. "We just had to find you the right bat."

Once the game was packed up, Gibbs and Jenny brought out the desserts and Abby made jugs of iced tea. "Just like my Gammy used to make," she said when everyone took appreciative sips of the cool, refreshing drink. Also a hit was Abby's peach-pecan pie which was demolished in less than five minutes.

"That was the best pie Abs," said Tony licking the last of the crumbs from his fingers. "You didn't happen to make two did ya?"

"Sorry Tony," replied Abby smiling.

"Coffee anyone?" asked Gibbs, getting up and stretching. "If I stay there much longer I'll fall asleep." He collected a few of the empty plates and headed inside. Filling the coffee machine, it wasn't long before he was joined by everyone, also bringing in various items from outside. A hive of activity commenced as more items were brought inside, dishes were washed and the trestle tables wiped and folded away.

Ducky was the first to leave. As he and Gibbs made their way to the door, Tony ran up to the older gentleman and flung his arms around his middle, hugging him tightly.

"Thanks for the game of cricket Ducky, you're the best!" he said.

Taken by surprise, Ducky smiled and tousled Tony's hair. "You're very welcome young Anthony," he replied. "We shall have to do it again sometime."

"Definitely!" said Tony and he ran back outside to play with Ziva. As Tony left, Ducky shook Gibbs' hand and said, "He's a good boy that one. Got his heart in the right place."

"He does Duck, always has," agreed Gibbs. They said their goodbyes and Gibbs returned to the lounge.

"Well Timmy," said Abby brightly. "We should go as well. We've got that… 'thing' on tonight and we don't want to be late."

"Thing?" replied Tim looking confused.

"Yes Timmy," gritted Abby, nodding her head between Gibbs and Jenny. "That 'thing' you said we should go to."

"Oh, that thing," gushed Tim. "Yes, Abby, we don't want to be late for that. Yes, very true. We really must get going."

He and Abby stood up and were just about to head towards the door when Jenny's voice asked innocently, "What thing might that be?"

Abby and Tim looked at each other guiltily. They turned to back to Jenny.

"Concert" replied Abby while at the same time Tim said "A movie."

"Oh," replied Jenny feigning surprise. "So is it a concert or a movie?"

"It's both," replied Abby and Tim nodded eagerly in agreement. "Yes," she went on. "It's a movie about a concert, um, they filmed a concert and turned it into a movie." She smiled hopefully.

Gibbs came around her and kissed her on the cheek saying, "Abby, stick to forensics. Espionage is not your forte."

"I know!" she admitted. "I just can't lie."

"Nothing to be ashamed of," replied Gibbs, putting his arm around her and leading her and Tim to the door. When they were gone, he turned to Jenny and said smiling, "Only Abby!"

"Dad!" called Tony from the kitchen. "You better come out here now!"

Wondering what on earth could have happened, Gibbs raced into the kitchen, quickly followed by Jenny.

"What's wrong Tony?" he asked, giving Tony a quick once over checking for blood or obvious injuries.

"It's Ziva," he said rolling his eyes and heading outside. Seeing that Tony didn't look panicked or worried, Gibbs let his body relax slightly and followed Tony. It wasn't long before all three of them were standing under the oak tree looking up. Ziva was sitting on the branch exactly level with the paint mark.

"That's ok Tony. She's allowed to be at that height," explained Gibbs.

"Yeah I know Dad, but if I hadn't fetched you, she was going to go higher," he said. "I didn't want her to get into trouble."

"Tattle-tale!" yelled Ziva poking out her tongue.

"Come on down so we can talk about this please," said Gibbs firmly.

"No!" shouted Ziva.

Sighing Gibbs turned to Tony and said, "Tell me what happened."

"We were playing with the tennis ball and she started throwing it into the tree so she could climb up and get it." Tony began. "I told her to stop but she said she was only throwing it up a little way. Then she threw it higher so that it was above the paint line. I told her it was too high and she wasn't allowed but she said…" Here Tony paused and looked at the ground.

"Go on Tony. What did she say?" encouraged Gibbs.

"She said the rule was stupid and you'd never find out anyway unless I told." He took a deep breath and continued. "I said it was stupid to deliberately get into trouble and that I was coming to get you. And that's when I did." He stopped and looked at the ground. "I'm not being a snitch, honest. I just didn't want to see her in trouble." Tony's eyes were filled with tears. "She didn't go above the line, she just threatened to. Please don't be angry with her Dad." Then suddenly, Tony began to cry.

Realising Tony needed him more than Ziva did right at this moment, he quickly said to Jenny, "Can you keep and eye on her while I talk to Tony?" When Jenny nodded, Gibbs put his arm around the boy and led him into the kitchen. By the time they got inside, Tony was crying in earnest and, when Gibbs took a seat, Tony stood between his legs and willingly let himself be hugged tightly. With Tony's head leaning on his shoulder, Gibbs gently rubbed his back until the crying settled and Tony pulled away.

Sitting him on his leg and wiping away the tears with his thumb, Gibbs said gently, "What's wrong Tony? This has to be more than just Ziva being naughty?"

"I don't know," he replied in frustration. "I just don't get her sometimes. We were playing really happily. And we'd had a great afternoon. But then she goes and wrecks everything by being bad. Why can't she just be normal and not try to get into trouble?"

"Tony, what Ziva does or doesn't do, isn't your fault. She makes her own choices," stated Gibbs.

"Yeah but her choices affect everyone. You'll get mad with her and she'll get upset and then everyone will be angry and miserable. I want us to be happy. I don't like it when everyone's angry," Tony explained.

Gibbs looked at Tony carefully. He could see the boy was trying so desperately to make sense of what he wanted to say, but his ten year old mind just wasn't able to comprehend the feelings. There was obviously a deeper memory behind this outburst. Knowing most of Tony's insecurities centred around his father, he could only assume this was another example.

"Tony, let's just forget about Ziva for a minute and I want you to try and tell me why you're afraid of people being angry even when that anger has nothing to do with you."

Tony thought for a moment. When the silence continued, Gibbs tried to re-word what he had said.

"Can you think of a time when someone was angry and blamed you for their anger?"

Tony nodded.

"Ok, can you tell me about that?"

"I was in my room, doing my homework and he came in and he was really mad about something." Tony began.

"Who came in, your father?" asked Gibbs.

Again, Tony nodded. "I didn't know what was wrong and I didn't want to look up because sometimes that just made him more mad."

Gibbs waited, rubbing Tony's back and letting the boy speak when he was ready.

"He said 'Look at me boy!' so I did. He was so angry. I thought he was going to hit me but he didn't. He just looked at me and his eyes were all small and mean. And…and he s-s-started to s-s-ay really ho-horrible th-th-things." Tony began to sob again.

Gibbs put his arms around him and lifted him properly onto his lap. Wrapping his arm around him, he held Tony's head close to his chest and rocked him gently. "Shh, it's ok Tony. Let it out," he soothed.

When Tony's breathing had calmed, Gibbs said quietly, "Can you tell me some of the things he said?"

Tony took a deep, shuddering breath. "He…he said I was in the way and that he c-c-couldn't get on with his life because he had to think of me. He s-s-said Janet, that was his wife after Mom, had left b-be-because she didn't want to have to l-l-look after me. He said it was my f-f-fault that Janet left." Tony stopped and looked up at Gibbs. "I didn't even hardly know her. She never t-t-talked to me. How could it be my fault?"

"Exactly Tony, it wasn't your fault." Gibbs acknowledged.

"He said I was nothing but t-t-trouble. That he'd lost all these business deals because of me. That everything was my f-f-fault and that his life would be better without me. Am I really that b-b-bad?"

"No Tony!" said Gibbs with more anger than he'd meant. He quickly softened his tone. "Look at me. You are not bad. You are a wonderful, caring boy who's funny, intelligent and a pleasure to have around. I love spending time with you Tony. You make me smile, you brighten my day. Your father had a lot of problems but none of those were because of you. He wasn't man enough to admit his own mistakes, so he took the coward's way out by blaming his own failures on the one success of his life; You!"

Gibbs took a deep breath. He was so enraged with Tony's father right now, that it took every ounce of self control not to let that anger show. The last thing Tony needed was to think he was the reason for that anger.

"You are not responsible for the way other people behave Tony. That is out of your control. What other people do is their choice, not yours. All you can be responsible for are your own actions, thoughts and words. The rest is someone else's problem." He felt Tony nod and hoped he was getting through to him. Lifting Tony's chin so he was looking at him, Gibbs continued. "The same goes for Ziva. You are not responsible for her behaviour. If she wants get herself into trouble, that's her problem, not yours."

"But she didn't go over the line, I promise!" appealed Tony.

"Ok, I believe you but I still need to talk to her about her attitude and actions. But that will be between her and me. It won't change the way I feel about you. I'm not going to get angry at you because Ziva decides to break the rules. Tony there are going to be times when both of you choose to do something you know is wrong. And, yes, I will need to discipline you. But I do that because I love you and I want you to make the best choices for yourself, not for me, not for Ziva but for you. It doesn't mean that I'll be angry at you or blame you for things. That may be hard for you to understand right now but I'm asking you to trust me on this. OK?

"Ok," nodded Tony.

"Good boy," said Gibbs, kissing Tony on the head. "Now, how about you go and have a shower and get into your PJs and we can watch a movie after dinner. And I better go and rescue Jenny from whatever torture Ziva has decided to inflict." He stood up and watched as Tony headed out the door. He hoped he had made some sense to Tony. Sadly though, he knew the only way Tony would truly understand and believe what Gibbs had said was when he had to put it into action. This, unfortunately, was one of those times when he would have to learn the hard way.

Taking a deep breath, he braced himself for what he knew was going to be a battle of wills. Walking back into the garden, he noticed Jenny had dragged a chair under the tree and was sitting calmly, with her legs crossed, watching nothing in particular and humming to herself. He didn't like to admit it, but he had actually checked to make sure she hadn't been bound in some way to prevent her from moving. She smiled as he walked up.

"Everything ok?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied then added suspiciously, "Everything ok here?"

"Oh yes," replied Jenny casually. "I've been admiring the insect-life that live in your garden Jethro. It's been a bit lonely seeing as no one will talk to me," she indicated Ziva with her eyes. "But that's Ok, I've enjoyed the quiet time." She stood up and took hold of the chair.

He sighed, "I'll help you carry the chair back." When they reached the patio area, Jenny looked at Gibbs. The poor man looked exhausted. She reached up and cupped his cheek, "You ok?" she asked gently.

"I'm fine Jen," Then sitting down on the chair he had just carried, he said, "Some people don't deserve to be parents. The only thing they manage to do well is screw up their kids' lives." He hung his head in his hands and rubbed his face. Grabbing another chair, Jenny sat down next to him. From their spot on the patio, they could just make out Ziva's blue overalls in the tree. Knowing she was fine for the time being Jenny said, "What happened?"

"That poor kid!" said Gibbs and Jenny knew he was referring to Tony. "That bastard that calls himself a father, has managed to convince Tony that everything bad that ever happened in his father's life was his fault. That Tony was and still is responsible for everyone's actions and feelings. If someone's angry, that's Tony's fault. If someone does something wrong, again, it's Tony's fault. That kid genuinely believes that he is responsible for the actions and feelings of the people around him. I tell ya Jen, if that man comes within ten feet of me, I swear I'd…." clenching his fists, he chose not to finish the sentence. "Geez Jen, I don't know what I'm doing. What if I'm making things worse for them? The last thing I want to do is add to either of their distress."

"Do you love them Jethro?" Jenny asked.

"You know I do,"

"Then how can you be making things worse? Love is the one thing both of those kids have missed out on. By giving them love you are giving them security, confidence, trust. All the things that they lack."

Gibbs sat in silence, only half taking in what she was saying. His mind was still on Tony and the things he had said. "No wonder Tony is trying so hard to be good lately. I know as an adult he wanted desperately for people to like him as well, but being small again has just amplified those feelings of insecurity."

He looked at Jenny and continued. "Don't get me wrong here, I don't want Tony to get himself into trouble and, with little missy over there, having at least one compliant child has been a relief, but there's a part of me that wants him to start testing me. I want him to be himself, not behave a certain way to keep everyone happy."

"He will Jethro," replied Jenny. "When he feels safe enough, and secure in your love, trust me, you'll be regretting those words."

She looked over towards the tree. "Stop beating yourself up. You're doing a great job with both of them."

"Yeah, well why do I feel like I'm going backwards with Ziva. The last few days she's been impossible. She gets angry, she's throwing tantrums, she's defiant, she's rude…."

"She's five!" interrupted Jenny.

"Kelly wasn't like this when she was five," argued Gibbs.

"No, because Kelly grew up safe and secure in your love. She would have tested you at twelve months, at two, at three. And each time you would have shown her that your love, security and guidance was always available. She still tested you at five, she just didn't need to be as extreme as Ziva does."

Seeing Gibbs was still not convinced, Jenny faced him directly and continued. "All her life, Ziva has been bullied by the man who was supposed to love and protect her. Then, two years ago, you came into her life and suddenly she had a strong, male influence who actually gave a damn about her and made her question everything she'd ever believed in. Think back Jethro, she used to test you then, It was just in a different way. Now suddenly she's five with all the emotions of a five year old and for the first time in her life, she feels safe enough to question your love, to make you prove that you will love her no matter what. And she's so conflicted at the moment. One part of her wants you to fail, to prove her father was right. But I truly believe she's more terrified that you won't fail. That, for the first time in her life, she will find trust and peace in knowing that she is loved unconditionally. So yes Jethro, of course she's testing you. And she will continue to test you. And you have to be strong and consistent and follow through every time. I know it sounds ridiculous but the fact that she is testing you, means you are doing a good job. She wouldn't push if she didn't trust you to push back." She paused, allowing her words to sink in.

"So," concluded Jenny standing up and putting the chair back, "Go and rescue your little girl out of that tree, spank her bottom, tell her she's loved, and both of ya get ya butts inside. You owe me dinner for the counselling fee."

Gibbs smirked and looking up at her said, "How'd you get to be so smart?"

"Psychology 101. Knew it would come in handy one day." She placed her hand gently on his cheek. "You're doing a good job. Don't ever doubt that." As she turned to go into the house, she said over her shoulder. "You think Ziva's bad? Wait 'till Tony starts testing you. Then you'll really know you're alive." Her laugh echoed as she entered the kitchen.

Gibbs groaned and, getting up, made his way over to the tree. He looked up into the expanse of leaves. She was still sitting on the same branch, arms crossed and her mouth pursed in defiance.

"Well, I think it's time you came down now, don't you?" he began, trying the casual approach.

"NO!" she yelled kicking her legs and narrowing her eyes.

OK, that didn't work. Plan B.

"Ziva, I know you didn't go past the painted line, so you're not in trouble for climbing the tree. However, if you shout 'no' to me once more, you will be deliberately disobeying me as well as being disrespectful and you know what will happen. So, let's try again. I want you to come down now so we can go inside."

She stared at him, stubbornness written all over her small face. It was definitely a battle of wills and Gibbs knew that this was one battle he needed to win, for her sake.

"Now Ziva," he said sternly.

Whining, she kicked her legs against the branch, frustrated this wasn't going the way she wanted. But there was still some defiance left. Gibbs watched as she battled with herself internally and, knowing what was about to come, steeled himself for the inevitable.

"NO!" she yelled again.

"Ziva, you've just earned yourself one swat when you come down. The rest is up to you. Here are your choices and I suggest you listen very carefully. I'm going to count to three. Before I finish saying three, you need to decide whether you are going to come down on your own, receive your one swat and come inside, or, if you still refuse to come down, I will climb up there, bring you down myself and you will go over my knee and receive five spanks. The choice is yours. I'm going to start counting now, Ziva. One…" He looked directly into her eyes, praying she'd come down but there was no movement. "Two…" come on Ziva he pleaded silently. Please don't make this worse for yourself. "Th…"

"Ok Daddy, I'm coming down, please stop counting. I can't get down that quickly."

She had started to move. Relief washed over him.

"I'll stop," he reassured her. "You made the decision before I finished three so choice one it is. I'm very proud of you."

He waited until she was within arms reach and lifted her down. Not wanting her to have to wait or dread what was coming, he immediately leant her against his leg and landed a hard swat to her overall covered bottom. She instantly started crying, her hands flying round to her backside and rubbing vigorously. He knew her tears were mainly relief that the battle was finally over, but it broke his heart none the less. Reaching down he picked her up. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she snuggled into him for comfort.

"I'm s-s-sorry Da –da- daddy," she sobbed into his chest.

"I know you are Sweetie. You were very brave making that choice. I know it must have been scary but you made the right decision. And now, it's all over and you are safe in my arms." He rubbed her back and let her cry. If he were perfectly honest, he was tempted to join in with her. But Jenny was right, he'd had to follow through. And as much as it broke his heart to listen to her cry, he knew that he had just added another piece to her trust puzzle. One day, the picture would be complete, but until then, he was happy to build it piece by piece.


	16. Breakthrough

Chapter 15 - Breakthrough

Jenny and Tony were sat on the sofa. Having finished his shower, Tony had dressed in his pyjamas and headed downstairs. Flicking on the television absentmindedly, he found some documentary on sea life. When, after leaving Gibbs to deal with Ziva, Jenny joined him on the couch, he didn't really acknowledge her but continued to stare blankly at the screen.

"Cricket was fun today wasn't it?" began Jenny, trying to make conversation.

Tony replied with a non-committal, "Yeah."

"You know, cricket was my Father's favourite sport. We used to sit and watch it on the television when I was younger. I don't think I've ever played it though. Well certainly not with Ducky's rules." She laughed. Tony continued staring blankly at the television.

Giving up on trying to coax Tony to talk with general chit chat, she turned to face him. "It's been a pretty tough week for you hasn't it."

He nodded.

"I don't know how I would be handling it if something like this happened to me. I know you've got Gibbs to talk to, but if you ever want to talk to someone else, you can always …"

Her words were interrupted by the sudden sound from outside of Ziva wailing. Fear shot to Tony's eyes and he sat up straight in the chair, his whole body tense.

"Tony," began Jenny placing her hand on his knee. "You know Gibbs would never really hurt her don't you?"

He didn't respond.

"Look, from what Gibbs had told me and from what I saw today, Ziva's been pushing the boundaries a lot lately. She needs to learn that Gibbs means what he says. It will be alright."

"She's gonna hate me," said Tony. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Why did you say something?" asked Jenny. Now that Tony was talking she wanted to encourage him to continue.

"I didn't want her to get into trouble," he replied. "And I knew Gibbs would find out. He always finds out."

Jenny smirked. Yep, she thought, Gibbs did seem to have a sixth sense when it came to that sort of thing.

"So you did it for her own good? You did it to help her?"

As she spoke, the sounds of Ziva's cries were becoming louder. They heard the side door open and Gibbs strode in. He carried Ziva on his hip, her face was buried into his shoulder muffling her cries. Tony jumped to his feet and was immediately by Gibbs' side.

"What happened? Is Ziva ok?" he asked anxiously. Gibbs reached out his hand and stroked Tony's hair.

"She's fine Tony. We're just going to go upstairs and Ziva's going to have a bath. Then we'll be back down soon and we can all watch a movie together after dinner. OK?"

"Ok," said Tony. He tentatively reached out his hand and rubbed Ziva on the back. She squirmed in Gibbs' arms and tried to pull away, placing her head on his other shoulder facing away from Tony. He looked up at Gibbs anxiously.

"She's fine Tony. Please don't worry," he reassured.

He watched as Gibbs took Ziva upstairs, then flung himself into the chair.

"See! I told you!" he said accusingly. "She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," replied Jenny. "She's just upset. She's had a big day and she's very tired. And to top it off she waged a battle of wills against Gibbs and she lost. She just needs time to process everything that's happened. I bet in half and hour she'll come bounding down those stairs and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about."

Tony didn't seem convinced.

"But it's my fault that Ziva's upset," he argued.

"How?" asked Jenny. "Did you make her climb the tree?"

"No, but I told Dad on her."

"Because you didn't want to see her get into trouble," replied Jenny. "You were doing it to help her."

"But she got into trouble anyway!" He raised his voice, frustration brewing. "I told Dad that she didn't go past the line. I told him not to be angry with her. And he didn't listen. He punished her anyway."

"Tony," began Jenny. "You don't know what happened between Ziva and your Dad. She was out to prove a point in that tree. Who knows, she may have decided to scale to the top while we were in here."

He didn't respond but she could tell he was listening.

"Tony, do you trust Gibbs?"

"Yes, of course," Tony replied quickly.

"Then you know that he wouldn't really hurt Ziva. If she deserved a spanking, and it sounds like she did, you have to trust that Gibbs made that decision based on Ziva's actions not on something you said. You are not responsible for what Ziva does, or for what Gibbs does for that matter."

She wondered if Tony was able to understand what she was trying to say. She wanted him to stop blaming himself but wasn't sure how to get through to him. She decided to try a different tact.

"Tony, you've heard Ziva talk about her childhood haven't you?

He nodded.

"Ok, so you know that her father used to beat her. The thing is, Ziva thinks that all fathers are like that. So, as hard as it is for you to understand, Ziva is testing Gibbs to see if he will behave just like her father did."

"Dad would never do that," Tony said emphatically.

"Exactly!" replied Jenny. "Your Dad is doing everything he can to keep you two safe and to help you get passed all the stuff that happened to you when you were children the first time round. So when Ziva deliberately does something that she knows will get her in trouble, she's doing it to see what Gibbs will do. To find out if she can trust that he means what he says. Can you see now, that her actions have nothing to do with you? She's not even thinking about being angry or upset with you, she's just trying to figure out whether or not she can trust Gibbs to keep his word."

Tony nodded.

"So you understand that you are not responsible for how Ziva feels?"

"Yeah I do," he said slowly. "I still don't like it when she gets into trouble, but I get it now. It's not my fault, it's just Ziva being a pain in the butt."

"Yep, pretty much," agreed Jenny smiling at him.

They both sat back and continued staring at the television screen, wrapped up in their own thoughts and not really taking notice what of was showing. As her eyes began to focus though, Jenny suddenly became aware of what was actually on the television.

"What the hell is that?" she asked staring at the screen.

"I think it's two octopus mating," replied Tony turning his head on the side trying to figure it out.

"Wow!" she said without thinking. "That's a lot of…. 'bits' to contend with."

Still staring at the screen, Tony raised his eyebrows and snorted with laughter.

"Sorry," Jenny replied, blushing. "That was probably a tad inappropriate."

_-N-C-I-S-N-C-I-S-_

As Gibbs reached the top of the stairs, he went into the bathroom and tried to put Ziva down. As he gently released her he felt her grip tighten both around his neck and his waist. Sitting down on the edge of the bath, he leaned over to put the plug in and turned on the taps. He adjusted the water to the correct temperature then positioned Ziva so she was sitting on his lap.

"How about you have a nice warm bath," he said soothingly." You can put your pyjamas on and we can go and have some dinner and then watch a movie. That sounds nice and relaxing doesn't it?"

She scrubbed at her eyes and wiped her nose on the back of her hand spreading mucous all over her cheek. Although she had stopped crying, her breathing was interrupted by the short involuntary gasps children get when they have been crying hard. She nodded her head.

"Will you…sniff…stay with…sniff…me please?" she asked softly, the little gasps making it difficult for her to speak.

She looked so pitiful. Her eyes were red from crying, there were tear tracks down her cheeks and her nose was running.

"Of course I can sweetie," he said gently. As they listened to the sounds of the water filling the bath, she was quite content to lean into his chest while he rocked her gently and rubbed soothing circles on her back. Her breathing evened out as she began to calm down and relax. When the bath was nearly ready, he stood her up and undid the buckles on her overalls. She pulled them down and stepped out of them. No longer shy around him, she took off the rest of her clothes and waited patiently while he turned off the taps and cooled down the spout. When the bath was ready she turned around and began to climb in. Gibbs looked at her bottom carefully to make sure he hadn't left a mark. He was relieved to see that it wasn't even red. Her continued crying had definitely been more of a reaction to the situation than from any lingering pain.

She sat down in the tub. Gibbs picked up the wash cloth and gently wiped her face, clearing away the tear tracks and mucous. Picking up the soap, he lathered it in his hands and then rubbed it over her shoulders, arms and back gently massaging her tired muscles until he felt her begin to relax.

"You know Tony loves you very much," he said as he worked the soap into her skin. "He's very worried about you."

"Why?" she asked, looking down into the water as the soap began to make bubbles.

"He's worried that you're going to be angry with him because he came and got me."

"I'm not angry at him," she said. She looked up into Gibbs' eyes. "Are you angry with me Daddy?"

"No Ziva," he said. "I haven't been angry with you at all. Not even when you were saying 'no' to me and you wouldn't come out of the tree."

"I didn't think you were angry with me," she said quietly. He finished washing her, then sat back on the edge of the bath while she soaked in the warm water.

After a while she looked up and said, "Why did you say you were proud of me when I was being naughty?"

He smiled at her interpretation of the events.

"I wasn't proud of you for being naughty. I was proud of you for making the decision to come down on your own. It must have been very scary knowing you were going to get a smack, but you did it anyway. I was also very proud that you made the right decision. If you had stayed up in the tree then I would have had to give you five spanks instead of just one and that would have made me feel very sad."

She made circles in the water with her fingers while she listened to him speak. Looking down at the abstract shapes, she said softly, "My first Daddy never got sad when he spanked me. He would yell and tell me not to cry. I would try really hard but it hurt so much. He told me I was being weak and then he would hit me harder."

Gibbs closed his eyes as he listened to her speak. He felt the lump constrict in his throat and he blinked back the tears that pricked at his eyes.

"But you don't think I'm weak do you Daddy?" she looked up at him. "Even though I cried you told me you were proud of me. My bottom hurt and you let me rub it better. You picked me up and let me cuddle you. That's what good Daddy's do isn't it?" Gibbs looked at her beautiful innocent face and couldn't hold the tears any longer. He allowed them to flow silently down his cheeks.

She stood up and came to him. Reaching out her hand, she let one of his tears fall on her finger. "These are love tears," she said smiling, looking at the glistening drop. "My Ima told me all about love tears. You cry them for the people you love most in the world."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, not caring that he was getting soaked from her wet body pressing against him.

"Yep," he said his voice hoarse with emotion. "They are most definitely love tears."

Gibbs had no idea how he managed to get through the next ten minutes. But suddenly she was dry, dressed in her pyjamas and jumping down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she ran over to Tony and flung her arms around his neck.

"I'm not mad at you Tony," she said. "You're the bestest big brother ever."

Tony, quite taken aback by her actions, patted her awkwardly on the back and said, "Thanks Zi. You're pretty good too for an annoying little sister."

She pulled back and with a devilish grin, punched him in the chest.

"Oomph!" he groaned. "That's more like it."

Ziva turned to Jenny, "Do you want to come and look at our rooms now?" she asked.

"I would love to Ziva," Jenny replied taking Ziva's hand and rising from the sofa. With her other hand she pulled Tony up saying, "Come on Tony. Come and show me this brilliant colour scheme you chose."

As they headed toward the stairs she called out, "We'll be back in a minute Jethro."

"Yep, take your time," he called back.

He had headed straight to the kitchen after bringing Ziva down the stairs. Leaning over the sink he took several deep calming breaths. Despite the horror of what she told him, she'd had a breakthrough tonight. She had been able to recognise that he wasn't angry with her. That the discipline he had administered, although painful at the time, was given with love and compassion. He knew she would continue to test him and he was fine with that, because tonight she showed the first understanding of what a Father's love was all about. Taking another deep breath, he turned on the cold tap and splashed water over his face. Yes, tonight they had both had a win.

By the time Jenny, Tony and Ziva had returned to the kitchen, he had filled the table with the leftovers from the barbecue including the many salads Abby had brought.

As they sat down and began to dish up the food, Jenny said, "The bedrooms are looking great Jethro." She then looked over at Tony and Ziva and winked conspiratorially before saying, "I especially love the mattresses you chose. Tony was telling me all about them." Ziva and Tony sniggered, their hands covering their mouths.

"Was he now," said Gibbs as he finished placing food on Ziva plate and handed it to her.

"Yes," Jenny continued, dishing up some of Abby's salads. "It sounds like you made quite an impression on the sales assistant." There was another conspicuous snort as both children began to eat dinner.

"Well Ziva certainly did," he remarked remembering the hideous odour that had followed one of Ziva's gallant efforts.

"Oh I'm sure she was most impressed with both of them. After all, such talent is so hard to find these days." Both children burst out laughing, no longer able to hide their mirth.

"Ew Tony," said Ziva loudly. "I can see the food in your mouth."

"Yeah?" he said. "Hang on." He hastily took another large mouthful, chewed a couple of times then said, "Hey Ziva, plane crash!" He opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue revealing a disgusting display of half chewed food.

"Gross!" giggled Ziva. Not wanting to be out done, she also took a large mouthful and copying Tony said, "Train wreck!"

It was rather unfortunate that at the moment, Ziva felt the urge to sneeze. Trying desperately to close her mouth, her body exploded with air and, seeing it had nowhere else to go, a pea shot out of her nose and landed right in the middle of Gibbs' plate.

There was a second of shocked silence, then Tony burst into hysterical laughter.

Trying hard to regain control, he gasped, "Ziva you just peed out of your nose!"

Both children collapsed in fits of giggles. From that moment on, no matter what was said, even the smallest thing became the subject of great hilarity. And when Gibbs, trying to gain some resemblance of control, said, "Come on you two, settle down. I don't want to be finding peas on the floor for the next week," you would have thought he had just told the funniest joke ever written. He let go though. After the last couple of hours, it was so nice to hear them laughing again.

When, after several minutes of raucous laughter, Tony and Ziva finally settled down enough to start eating again, Jenny said, "When I was five my grandfather told me that mushrooms like to grow in dark, damp places. So that night I opened a can of those button mushrooms and shoved one up my nose to see if it would grow. It got so stuck up there, my father had to take me to the emergency room so the doctors could take it out.

After that little gem from Jenny, any hopes of enjoying a quiet, refined dinner were completely destroyed.

Later, when Jenny and Gibbs were sitting at the table enjoying a cup of coffee, Tony and Ziva tried to choose a movie that they would both enjoy watching. Standing in the living room, Tony took out all the DVDs they now owned. After last week's upset over the range of choices, Gibbs had gone through the collection with Abby's help, trying to sort out which ones would be suitable. Discovering that this didn't leave too many choices, Abby had visited a range of second-hand stores through the week and stocked up their supply of 'age appropriate' movies.

"Madagascar?" suggested Ziva.

"We watched that last week Zi," said Tony. "What about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?" He held up the cover.

"Nuh Uh," said Ziva shaking her head. "That movie's creepy, it scares me."

"Ok," said Tony disappointed. "What about…"

"Oh Tony, look!" exclaimed Ziva. "Winnie the Pooh! Can we watch that pleeeease," she begged.

Tony stared at the cover with a look of disgust.

"Where did that one come from? Abby must have picked it. That's for babies Ziva, pick something else."

While listening to the conversation between Tony and Ziva, Jenny took a sip of her coffee then said, "Ziva's not herself anymore is she?" When Gibbs looked at her confused, she rephrased her words saying, "I mean, she's completely five now. Just listen to her choices of movies, they are exactly what a five year old would choose. I haven't seen the adult Ziva all day."

"Haven't seen her for a couple of days, Jen," Gibbs replied putting down his mug. "I was just thinking about that this morning. I wondered if it was part of the serum Trentwood created."

"Hmmm," replied Jenny thinking. "Could be, although Tony still seems to flit between his adult self and child self."

"Yeah," agreed Gibbs. "At first I thought they became more childlike when faced with an emotional upheaval or when remembering a traumatic event, but now I'm not so sure. I think it's to do with the serum and Ziva, being younger, has just experienced it more quickly than Tony.

"Could be," said Jenny. "Poor Tony though. It must be terrible to deal with. One minute you're your normal self and then the next you're acting and reacting like a ten year old. It must be so frustrating. In some ways, I think Ziva has it much easier now."

"Well hopefully it will take effect soon for Tony." Gibbs said taking another mouthful of coffee. "Although," he added, "Ziva still has some of her childhood memories." He recalled how, in the bath, she had talked about what her 'first Daddy' had done to her. "I wonder if she remembers anything beyond being five? Does she remember coming to America, Ari, that sort of thing?"

"God I hope not," said Jenny. Then lowering her voice she continued. "Can you imagine how her five year old mind would deal with knowing she killed her own brother? That would just be horrific."

"Daaad!" called Tony from the living room. "Can you please come in here?"

Putting down his coffee, Gibbs stood, groaning loudly as his back and knees protested the sudden shift in position.

"Don't worry, old man," commented Jenny cheekily. "Your zimmer frame should be arriving in the morning. You'll find moving around much easier with that."

"Watch it," he growled as he headed out the room.

He found Tony and Ziva standing next to a selection of DVD's arranged on the coffee table.

"We can't decide on which movie to watch," said Tony. "We've narrowed it down to these three and we want you to pick which one we should watch."

"Why me?" asked Gibbs incredulously. "What do I know about movies?"

"Nothing," replied Tony honestly. "That why we want you to pick because it will be fair."

Having no idea how that could possibly make sense to either of them, he looked at the selection. "I like fishing, so that one," he said pointed to 'Finding Nemo'.

"Well done Daddy," said Ziva, patting him on the leg as she couldn't reach his back. "You've made a good choice. I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks Honey," he smirked. It was rather disconcerting to hear your own words said back at you out of the mouth of a child. Then turning to the kitchen he called, "You coming in here to watch this 'Madam' Director?"

"Madam!" exclaimed Jenny as she wandered in and sat in one of the arm chairs.

"You call me old, I'll call you Madam!" he retorted, grinning at the look of disgust on her face.

"Not anymore," she muttered under her breath.

Gibbs sat down on the sofa, while Tony put the DVD into the player. He was immediately bombarded by Ziva who leapt onto his lap and Tony who crawled on the couch next to him and snuggled into his side. Putting his arms around both of them, he waited for the movie to begin.

About twenty minutes into the movie, Jenny noticed a soft snoring sound coming from the couch. Looking in that direction, she saw Gibbs' head was resting on the back of the sofa and he was fast asleep. His left arm was cradling Ziva who was curled up on his lap like a kitten, her head buried into his chest. His right arm was resting on Tony's hip as the boy snuggled into his side, knees tucked up and his head almost touching Ziva's. All three were fast asleep.

Jenny smiled.

Jethro was finally home.


	17. In Sickness and In Health

**A big thank you to all of you who have reviewed. It means so much to hear from you.**

**This chapter is just a little bit of fluff before we head into a couple of Tony testing chapters. I felt it would be too obvious to have Tony begin testing right after they had discussed it.**

**I plan to finish this story soon. I don't like stories that go on forever, with no real concept of plot. However, there will be a sequel that sees our little family go on a major holiday.**

**Enjoy.**

Chapter 17 - In Sickness and in Health

"Daddy." He vaguely became awake of a small whispering voice in his ear as it pulled him out of restful slumber.

"Daddy." The voice continued, relentless, invasive.

"Daddy!" Now the voice had grown hands, tapping insistently on his face like an oversized mosquito.

He cracked his eyes, the room was still dark. Looking at the bedside clock he read '04.09'. Turning his head slightly, he could see her standing there. Eyes bright, a smile lighting up her face.

"Good morning Daddy. I can't find my purple top." came the cheerful greeting.

As comprehension slowly sifted through his brain, he looked at her more closely. She was standing next to his bed, naked except for a pair of panties.

"Ziva," he groaned. "It's too early to be up. Go put your pyjamas back on and go back to bed." He closed his eyes.

He felt her breath on his cheek and she lent in close and continued whispering as if that might appease his brain into thinking she wasn't really there.

"But Daddy, I need my purple top. It's not in Tony's room and I can't find it in my room because of all the sheets."

Silence.

"Daddy!" Augh, those mosquito hands again, tap, tap, tap. "I need my purple top because if I spill some paint it won't show so bad."

Silence, longer this time.

Had she given up? Had he dreamed it? His mind began to drift, heaviness overtaking his limbs.

"But maybe," she continued, "I could just paint like this. My skin is easier to wash anyway. Ok Daddy, you can go back to sleep, I'll just stay like this. I'll be in my room if you need me."

He was awake!

Throwing back the covers, he stumbled out of bed and managed to reach her just as she was entering her room. Scooping her up with a 'Shh' when she protested, he tip-toed into Tony's room and snatched her pyjamas from the floor. Padding back to his own room, he stood her on the bed.

"Ziva it is far too early to be up. We will do some more painting later on. Put your pyjamas on and go back to bed." He held out her pyjama top encouraging her to slip her arm through the sleeve.

"But Daddy, I'm awake. I don't want to go back to sleep." She held her arms across her chest, preventing him from being able to coax them through the sleeves.

"Ziva, listen to me," he said gently. "It's too early. Tony's still asleep, I would like to still be asleep, even the sun is still asleep. If you don't want to sleep, that's fine but how about you just rest in Daddy's bed for a bit, or bring something quiet to do and you can sit in here with me. But Ziva, you need to let me sleep a bit longer otherwise Daddy with turn in to a grumpy old bear and nobody will be happy."

"Grrrr!" she growled grinning at him.

"Exactly!" he said. He held out her top again and she allowed her arms to be placed through the sleeves. He quickly did up the buttons, then helped her step into the pants while she grabbed his shoulder for support. Lifting her down, she skipped out the door.

Falling back into the sweet warmth of his recently vacated bed, he listened as she trotted back in. Although his eyes were closed he could hear the familiar sounds of pencils rattling in a pencil case. She scrambled up onto his bed and settled herself next to him.

"I'm going to draw you some pictures Daddy," she whispered into his ear.

"That sounds wonderful, Sweat Pea," he murmured, sleep already nudging his consciousness.

As the gentle sounds of pencils scribbled across paper, he drifted back into blissful slumber.

Three hours later as the sun was streaming through the drapes, Gibbs slowly awoke. Remembering the early morning conversation of which he'd participated, he rolled over to see where Ziva was. He smiled to himself as he looked at her. Paper and pencils forgotten, she laid sprawled on her tummy, head towards him, legs dangling off the edge of the bed. He gently turned her so she was fully on the bed and covered her with the blankets. She sighed contently and snuggled into the warmth.

As he entered the hall, his nose was suddenly affronted by a distinct sour odour that could only mean one thing, vomit! Heading straight to Tony's room, the offensive smell was almost unbearable. He scanned the room briefly, enough to see Tony wasn't there and headed to the bathroom. Curled on the bathmat, under a blanket he'd pulled from his bed, lay Tony. Rushing over to him, Gibbs crouched down and gently shook the boy's shoulder.

"Tony?" he called urgently.

Tony emitted a faint groan as he slowly opened his eyes and saw Gibbs crouching over him.

"I think I'm sick Dad," he moaned, closing his eyes again.

"Why didn't you come and get me?" asked Gibbs as he felt Tony's head for any sign of a fever. He was definitely hot.

"I didn't want to bother you. Besides, the bed was full."

"You are never a bother Tony," reassured Gibbs. "And my bed has plenty of room for both of you. Can you sit up for me?"

Tony slowly lifted himself up into a sitting position.

"Urg, my head hurts," he groaned. "I think I'm gonna be sick again."

He leaned over the toilet bowl. Gibbs gently stoked his head as the retching continued. He noticed Tony was no longer bringing anything up but the violent heaves continued. When the boy sat back, panting and exhausted, Gibbs grabbed a wash cloth and ran it under some luke-warm water. Wiping Tony's face and neck, he rinsed the cloth then ran it under the cold, before placing it on Tony's forehead. The boy sighed in appreciation as he slumped back into Gibbs' arms.

"Come on Bud, let's get you into bed." He gently placed his hands under Tony's knees and around his back and lifted him carefully.

"Can't Dad, I was sick in there. Sorry. I'll clean it up later."

"No you won't," said Gibbs firmly. "You can sleep in my bed for now." Cradling him, he carried him into his bedroom and laid him in the spot he had just vacated. The movement woke Ziva.

"Hi Daddy," she began then noticed Tony. "Hey, what's wrong with Tony?"

"Shhh, he's sick honey," replied Gibbs quietly. "How about you go downstairs? If you're still sleepy you can lie on the sofa, ok?"

"But why's Tony sick?" asked Ziva, crawling out of bed and gathering her pencils and paper.

"I don't know Zi, I'm going to call Ducky and see if he can tell us. Ok, off you go." He watched her head out the door and then called, "Oh Ziva? Don't go into Tony's room, he's been sick in there. I'll get some clothes out for you in a minute, ok?"

"Ok, Daddy," he heard her call.

Turning back to Tony, he stroked his head and felt his cheek and neck. He was definitely quite warm. Noticing Tony was already asleep again, he went into the bathroom to retrieve the thermometer. Infinitely grateful to Jenny for insisting they bought a new one that took the temperature via the ear, he went back into his room and gently took Tony's temperature. The screen flashed 101.8. High, thought Gibbs but not in danger territory.

Grabbing his cell from the bedside table, he called Ducky.

"Good morning Jethro," came Ducky's cheerful voice. "Let me guess, one or both of them has a fever, is vomiting and is full of aches and pains?"

"Yeah Duck, how'd ya know?" asked Gibbs. It was normally him that made the correct assumptions when answering the phone.

"I've just been on the phone with Tim. He's in the same way."

"Food poisoning?" asked Gibbs.

"I very much doubt it," replied Ducky. "For a start it would have began sooner and I'd be speaking to more than just you and Tim. So, which one is it Jethro? I hope for your sake it's not both of them."

"Nah, just Tony. His temp is 101.8 and he's been vomiting. It must have started some time after zero four hundred because I was up with Ziva then and she didn't say anything."

"Right, well, just keep him comfortable, not a great deal you can do I'm afraid. I'm assuming it's some sort of stomach bug or even 'flu. I'll just pop in and see Tim, then I'll be over your way directly." Ducky chuckled, "I must be the only M.E. that gets just as many calls for the living as he does for the dead."

"Yeah probably," agreed Gibbs. "See ya soon Duck.

"Cheerio Jethro." replied Ducky. And he hung up.

Grabbing a bucket from the bathroom cupboard, Gibbs put it on the floor by the bed. He hoped Tony would notice it should he need to be sick again.

He headed into Tony's room, holding his breath so he didn't dry reach at the disgusting smell. Throwing open the curtains and windows, he tried desperately to breathe in the fresh air as it slowly filtered through. Thankfully, Tony had only thrown up in the bed. As he gathered up the sheets he said a quiet 'thank you' to the sales assistance who had advised him to get the plastic protector sheets for both beds. It had certainly saved the mattress from any damage. Taking the sheets downstairs, he put them in the laundry trough and rinsed off as much vomit as he could before piling them into the washing machine and turning it on. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, he headed back upstairs, passing Ziva who was happily watching tv.

"Hey pumpkin," he said as he passed. "You ok just to stay here for a moment?"

"Yes, Daddy. I'm watching Dora the Explorer," she informed him happily. He smiled to himself, thinking of the car seat incident from the previous Saturday. How much had changed in only 8 days. Ziva now thought her car seat was the coolest thing in the world.

"That's good," Gibbs replied smiling. "Ducky's coming over soon. I'm unlocking the door so he can come straight in, ok?

"Ah huh," she answered still watching the tv.

Once back upstairs, Gibbs checked in on Tony who was sleeping soundly. He then changed the sheets on Tony's bed. He figured Ziva could sleep in his bed tonight. He didn't want her catching this and her room certainly wouldn't be finished by tonight.

He had just finished remaking the bed when a hacking cough caught his attention. Running back into his room, Tony was leaning over the side of the bed, gripping the bucket tightly. Gibbs noticed that he was more coughing than vomiting.

"Do you have a sore throat, Bud?" he asked gently, stroking Tony's hair away from his face.

"Yeah," replied Tony hoarsely. "I feel awful Dad, I feel like a truck has run me over." He leaned back on the pillow, his cheeks were flushed and his lips looked dry and cracked.

"Here son, have a small sip of water. It'll help keep you hydrated." Gibbs offered the bottle of water with a pop top lid to Tony. He took a small amount then flopped back onto the pillow.

"Good boy," praised Gibbs. I'll be back in a minute. He took the wash cloth and rinsed it out, soaking it under the cold water again. Squeezing it out, he took it back to Tony and laid it on his forehead. He noticed Tony was still awake.

"Ducky's coming around soon," explained Gibbs, talking softly, and gently running his fingers through Tony's hair. "Apparently Tim is sick with the same thing. Ducky thinks it might be a tummy bug or 'flu." Tony nodded slightly.

"Do you think you could make it back to your own bed? I've changed the sheets and opened the windows." Tony nodded again and made to stand up. Gibbs bent down and lifted him into his arms, wrapping his legs around his waist while Tony gripped him around the neck and rested his head on Gibbs' shoulder.

"I'm not a baby Dad, I could probably walk," he protested.

"Hey, make the most of it. It's not every day you get carried to bed." Gibbs replied.

Too tired to protest, Tony allowed himself to be carried back to his own room and placed between the cool, crisp sheets. As Gibbs returned with the wash cloth and water, he heard the front door open.

"That must be Ducky," he said to Tony, tucking him in and putting the wash cloth on his forehead.

Within a minute the cheerful face of Ducky walked into the room. He headed over to Tony's bed.

"Now, young Anthony," began Ducky, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "What have you done with yourself?"

"I feel terrible Ducky," said Tony. "My throat hurts and I've got a headache and I feel like a truck has run me over!"

"t, t, t," he older gentlemen clicked his tongue shaking his head. "That's no good Tony, no good at all."

Ducky made a thorough check of Tony, taking his temperature, feeling his glands, checking his throat. When he'd finished he looked up at Gibbs.

"Just what I expected Jethro," he said. "It's the same as Tim. They both have the 'flu. There's not a lot you can do really, just keep up the fluids, paracetamol and plenty of rest. I'd say by tomorrow evening he'll be feeling much better." He stood up and took something out of his bag. "I took the liberty of buying you this." He held up a bottle of children's paracetamol. "I wasn't sure if you would have any."

"Thanks Duck, much appreciated," acknowledged Gibbs taking the bottle.

"You should give him a dose now and every 4 to 6 hours depending on how he is."

"I noticed Tony was coughing pretty hard earlier," Gibbs said to Ducky. "Will this affect his lungs or could the damaged lungs affect his recovery?" he asked, remembering Tony's battle with the plague a couple of years earlier.

"That's a good point Jethro. I don't even know whether Tony would still have the scaring. As he de-aged, it is possible the physical injuries and scars may have disappeared as well. Either way, this shouldn't be a problem. He doesn't appear to have a chest infection. I'm a little more concerned with his throat at the moment. It's quite red and inflamed. However, it would be interesting to take an x-ray when he's feeling better to see what has taken place as part of this 'de-aging' process. Ziva too." he added.

Gibbs nodded. "How was Tim when you saw him?" he asked.

"Looking decidedly better than Tony is right now," Ducky replied, gazing down on Tony's flushed face. "Tim said he started vomiting last night but had been able to sleep undisturbed since five o'clock this mornings. So hopefully Tony with have a quick recovery as well."

Opening the bottle of paracetamol, Gibbs poured the measured dose of medicine into the cup provided and gave it to Tony. He cringed while swallowing as the liquid passed over his sore throat.

"Hopefully that should have you feeling better soon," remarked Ducky, as Tony scootered down and pulled the covers up.

Gibbs crouched down beside Tony and ran his hand over the boy's head. "You let me know if there's anything you need, ok?" he said. Tony nodded.

He kissed Tony on the forehead and said gently, "Get well soon Bud," Then he and Ducky exited the room.

As they walked out of Tony's bedroom, both of them almost collided with Ziva who had been standing just outside watching what was happening.

"Is Tony going to be ok?" she asked looking inside the room.

"Yep, he'll be fine." replied Gibbs.

"By tonight?" she questioned.

"Probably not by tonight, why?" he asked.

"Well, I don't want to get sick and if I stay with Tony I might catch his germs. But my room isn't ready for me yet so I don't know where I'm going to sleep unless you can work magic Daddy and make my room finished. Can you work magic Daddy?" she asked innocently.

"No honey, I can't." he replied turning her around and steering her away from Tony's room. "But you can sleep in Daddy's room tonight, ok?"

"Yay!" she yelled jumping around.

"Shh!" replied Gibbs. "Tony is very sick, so we have to be quiet.

"OK," she whispered dramatically. "Daddy, am I going to wear your clothes as well?" she asked.

"Huh?" he said, looking at her confused, then with realisation dawning, he said, "Damn, your clothes!"

"Daddy!" she gasped in mock sternness. 'That's bad words!"

"Yes, you're right. Daddy's sorry. Ok, pumpkin, how about you go into my room and I'll get your clothes out of Tony's room and then you can get dressed?"

She skipped off to Gibbs bedroom and Ducky smiled. "She is rather adorable isn't she Jethro?" he said indulgently.

"Yeah," agreed Gibbs smiling. "Although at ten past four this morning I may not have agreed so readily."

Chuckling at Gibbs' comment Ducky said, "I'll let myself out Jethro. Let me know if there's anything you need."

"Thanks Duck," replied Gibbs watching the M.E. start down the stairs. He turned and headed back into Tony's room, gathering up the pile of clothes that was Ziva's and headed back into his own room. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was only five past eight. He figured he was in for a long day.

By 12 noon, Gibbs was very definitely wishing he could clone himself. Poor Tony had continued to vomit every 30 minutes until Gibbs had eventually called Ducky again. When the M.E. had arrived, he had taken one look at Tony and given him an injection of Maxolon for the vomiting and nausea as well as some fluids. The fact that Tony didn't even protest when the needle was inserted was a testament to how sick he actually was. Thankfully in the 90 minutes since then, Tony hadn't vomited once and had managed to sleep for most of the time. He had only woken once, when Ziva, despite being told several times that Tony's room was out of bounds, was discovered sneaking in there for a yellow pencil which appeared to be missing from her collection. After sitting in Gibbs' room for a time-out, she had apparently noticed it on the floor under the bed.

Also a relief was the notable change in Tony's fever. Having risen to 103.2 when Ducky came the second time, Gibbs noticed that it was back to 102.1. He hoped it would continue to fall.

Adding to an already stressful morning, Ziva was not taking the extra attention Gibbs was providing to Tony, overly well. As he sat in the kitchen, having just set the timer for another five minute time-out, he looked over at the little girl sitting on the kitchen chair opposite. Arms crossed, face scowling, she was definitely in 'Ziva Defiance' mode. This was her third time-out for the morning and had arisen when she had insisted on using some of the purple paint from her room to paint the outdoor setting. Thankfully, Gibbs had managed to spot her before any paint actually touched the beautiful red cedar table and had sent her inside for yet another time-out.

He knew what her problem was, but with Tony so sick, he didn't have the time to spend with her as he would have liked. He had hoped to spend the day painting, but knew that wouldn't be a good idea with a five year old underfoot. He had learnt that lesson last week when, after ten minutes of 'helping', Ziva quickly became bored and the concept of painting herself became far more interesting than painting the walls.

One minute into her time-out, he heard a knock at the front and Jenny's voice call, "Hi, it's just me."

He jumped out of his chair and saw her pushing her way through the front door, arms laden with bags. He rushed over to her and, grasping both arms, he held on, shaking them slightly and exclaiming, "Oh yes, yes, thank you!"

"Wow Jethro," she replied dryly. "Haven't heard that from your mouth in well over six years!"

"Shut up and get in," he growled, pulling her forward and shutting the front door.

"Please tell me you're staying for a bit?" he pleaded.

"Well I can, I guess," she replied a little surprised at his enthusiasm. "Ducky told me about Tony and I thought you might like some lunch brought over for you and Ziva,"

"What did you bring Jenny?" came a little voice from the kitchen.

"Ziva!" growled Gibbs as he turned around and walked back into the kitchen. "You know the rules. If you speak the timer starts again." He reset the timer on the stove and pointed his finger at her. "No talking and no getting out of your seat. Those are the rules."

"I didn't get out of my seat," she argued.

Looking at her, he said nothing, but turned around and reset the timer again.

She crossed her arms and huffed loudly, kicking her legs against the chair in frustration. Leaving her to it, Gibbs walked back into the living where Jenny was now waiting.

"Being a little difficult is she?" she grinned.

"More than a little!" he grumbled. "I get that she bored, I also get that she's jealous of the time I'm spending with Tony, but she has to learn that right now he needs me. She hasn't had a time-out in four days and this is her third this morning. I've tried giving her suggestions of things she can do, but she insists on doing things she knows are wrong."

"I thought the table would look pretty in purple, so there!"

Closing his eyes in frustration, he took a deep breath before entering the kitchen again. Without saying a word, he reset the timer and walked out, not making any eye contact with her at all.

"I thought if she could see the timer, it would be better," he said, returning to Jenny again. "She could watch and see that it was getting closer to her time being up. But she's behaving worse than ever."

"Me being here wouldn't be helping. Maybe I should just go," Jenny suggested.

"Please don't, I need the adult support right now." He looked at her imploringly and she grinned.

Augh! Jethro, you know I could never resist those eyes!" she exclaimed. She handed him the lunch supplies then put down her purse and keys on the small coffee table.

Gibbs was just about to take the lunch things into the kitchen when he heard Tony's voice calling.

"Dad! Can you come here please?" He actually sounded slightly better and Gibbs hoped he was over the worst of it. Handing the lunch things back to Jenny, he said, "Can you deal with these? I'll go and see what Tony wants."

He started up the stairs, then turned. "Oh, if Madam in there talks or gets up from her seat, the timer starts again to five minutes. I generally don't make a fuss if she starts kicking the chair. I figure that's just a normal sign of frustration. Must admit, I've kicked a few chairs in my time as well." He grinned and headed up the stairs.

As reached Tony's room, he looked in and saw he was leaning up on his elbow. He was still flushed but was looking marginally better. Walking over to Tony's bed, he sat on the edge.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, running his hands over the boy's head. He certainly felt cooler.

"A bit better, but I still have a headache and my throat is really sore," Tony replied, still groggy from the medication Ducky had given him. Gibbs noticed his lips were still very dry.

"Do you think you could manage some water?" Gibbs coaxed, lifting the bottle and handing it to Tony.

Tony pulled a face. "It's too warm," he complained. "Can I have a cold one out of the fridge?"

"Ok," replied Gibbs. "I'll go and get some and come straight back. I think it might be worth you having another dose of paracetamol when I return. It will help take some of the pain away and give you chance to sleep properly." Tony nodded and Gibbs headed back downstairs.

On entering the kitchen, he saw the timer was still at 4.14. He had hoped Ziva would have finished it by now but he should have known that she would have tested Jenny as well. Still, with that much time remaining, she must have tested her a couple of times.

He looked at Jenny as he opened the fridge door, effectively blocking Ziva's view.

_'What happened?'_ he mouthed.

_'Talking,'_ she mouthed back and held up two fingers to indicate twice, _'and getting up,'_ she added holding up one finger.

"I know you're talking about me," came Ziva's sulky voice from behind the fridge.

Rolling his eyes, Gibbs closed the fridge door, Tony's fresh water in hand and reset the timer. Looking at him with her mouth open, Ziva began stamping her feet on the floor and started crying. "Nooooooo!" she wailed.

Gibbs went over to her.

"Listen to me Ziva," he said sternly. He normally didn't like to speak to her during time out but this had gone on long enough. "If you had sat in that chair and not spoken or got up, your time-out would have finished," he looked at his watch, "twelve minutes ago. You are only making it worse for yourself. You know that I will restart the timer every time you talk or get off that chair." As she opened her mouth to argue, he quickly put his finger over her lips and said gruffly, "Don't speak!" She huffed, but thankfully chose to obey. "Right, you have four minutes to go. Let's see if we can make this the last four minutes."

He stood up and moved away from her. Deciding he would wait until the time-out was done before heading back to Tony, he leaned against the cupboards and watched as Jenny made some sandwiches for their lunch. He smiled to himself as, once again, he realised just how grateful he was for her help and support. As she began putting on some ham, he reached over to pinch a piece and she smacked his hand sharply. Pulling back, he yelped. Ziva giggled and he quickly turned around, putting his finger over his lips to indicate she should remain quiet but his eyes were smiling. As Jenny cut the sandwiches and began placing them on a plate, the timer sounded.

Sweet relief!

He walked over to Ziva and said quietly. "Now, why did I put you in time out? You may have to think a bit, it was so long ago."

"For trying to paint the table outside," she said in a small voice.

"That's right," he acknowledged. "You may now go."

As she hopped off the chair she stood facing him with her hands on her hips and looking decidedly disgruntled.

"That was far too long Daddy. You said a time-out was supposed to go for five minutes. That was much longer than five minutes!"

He looked at her incredulously. "And whose fault was it that it went longer than five minutes?" he asked, amazed that she had even dared to bring it up.

"Well I wasn't the one who kept re-starting the timer Daddy. That was you!" she pointed her finger at him and then, folding her arms across her chest, she turned abruptly and headed out the door.

"Unbelievable!" he said, staring at her retreating figure. "Only a woman could have logic like that! OW!" he yelped, as the salt shaker hit him squarely in the back of the head.

_-N-C-I-S-N-C-I-S-_

By three in the afternoon, things were most definitely looking up. Tony had been able to drink about half a bottle of water and had now been asleep for two hours straight and Ziva had not only avoided any further time outs but had even put herself to bed about an hour ago and was still sleeping peacefully. Gibbs, currently in Ziva's room painting, couldn't believe his luck. He'd just enjoyed a solid hour of peace and quiet.

Just as he was enjoying his new found freedom, he heard the front door open. Oh well, an hour was pretty good these days.

Putting down the roller, he listened to who it might be. The tell-tale sound of clunky platform shoes and jingling chains could only belong to one person.

"Hey Abs," he greeting as he met her in the kitchen.

"Gibbs!" she exclaimed rushing toward him and enveloping him in a traditional 'Abby hug'. "Oh you poor thing! Ducky told me about Tony and Timmy being sick. I've just been to see Timmy and he's feeling a bit better. So I thought I'd come over here and see how Tony is. How's Ziva? I hope she hadn't caught it?" Not waiting for an answer she ploughed on. "When Ducky first told me I hoped it wasn't any of my salads, but he assures me it's 'flu so, phew, I'm in the clear. Anyway, I thought you could do with some homemade chicken broth. I always keep some in the freezer because when you're sick it's the last thing you feel like making but the first thing you feel like eating. So," she handed him the container, "how are you?"

"I'm fine Abs, as is Ziva," he replied as she finally took a breath and sat down. "Actually, Tony seems to be on the mend as well. So, all in all, I think things are looking up."

"Excellent!" said Abby. She got up and opened the fridge. "Oh yes! I knew I hadn't finished them all yesterday and I was hoping you hadn't thrown it out."

"Would I do that to you Abs?" he asked pretending to be hurt at her words. She grinned as she took her last Caf-Pow out of the fridge. Just before she shut the door, she noticed some cheesecake slices on the bottom shelf.

"Oooh, is that cheesecake slice?" she asked, her words almost drooling as much as her mouth. "Where did they come from?"

"Yeah, help yourself," Gibbs replied. Then, without thinking added, "Jen brought them around for lunch but we forgot to eat them. Actually, bring them out, I might have one myself."

Noticing the obvious silence, he looked up at her. Leaning on the open fridge door, Abby stared at him, eyebrows raised and with the most ridiculous grin on her face. "Jen brought them round?" she repeated. "Been taking care of you has she?" she asked with mock surprise.

"Abby!" he growled. "Like you, she heard Tony was sick and thought she might be able to help by bringing around some lunch. Nothing more. Now are you going to bring that slice out or are you planning on warming up everything in my fridge."

"Oh, sorry," she apologised, grabbing the slices and shutting the door. "Well, that was very nice of Director Shepherd, wasn't it?" she asked pointedly.

"Yes, Abby, it was," replied Gibbs. "So, how's work?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Quiet," she said taking a seat and sipping on her drink. "Only a few cases on the go at the moment, so things are pretty dead. Pardon the pun," she giggled. "What about you? I didn't get much of a chance to talk to you yesterday. How's our Papa Gibbs going?" she looked at him and smiled, her green eyes dancing with mischief.

"Getting there," he replied. "Hard to believe it's only been just over a week. Let's just say, life has definitely changed!"

They spent the next hour chatting and enjoying each other's company. Abby slurping on her Caf-Pow while Gibbs drained the bottom of two mugs of coffee.

It was just after four o'clock when a sleepy Ziva entered the kitchen and crawled on Gibbs lap. She waved at Abby, not quite ready to talk just yet, and snuggled into Gibbs' chest. He gently rubbed her back while he continued to talk.

"She's so lucky," said Abby wistfully when there was a pause in the conversation. She looked over at Ziva snuggled into Gibbs' body.

"Why?" asked Gibbs, wondering what Abby could mean.

"Well, I don't mean the de-aging and uncertainty or that kind of stuff, but just being little again. Being able to snuggle in someone's lap and be held. That would be nice."

"Yeah, I guess," acknowledge Gibbs, "There would be some good sides."

"I'd love to be that small again," said Abby longingly. "I miss my Dad. He always gave the best cuddles. A bit like you Gibbs, firm and safe. I wonder if there's any more of that serum left?" she teased.

"Don't even think about it Abby!" growled Gibbs. He knew she was joking but the yearning in her voice was a little alarming. He wouldn't put anything past Abby. "Trust me, it isn't all hugs and cuddles," he added. "Is it Sweat Pea?" he asked Ziva, kissing her on the head.

"Nah uh," she replied turning to face Abby. "Daddy's mean. He makes me do long time-outs and if I talk, he starts the timer again. It's soooooo boring." She stretched out the word for emphasis.

"Hmmm," he said, turning her around properly so that she was sitting with her back against him and facing Abby, "And whose fault is that?" he asked.

"It's a dumb rule," she said avoiding the question. "Almost as dumb as those stupid paint marks on the trees!" She huffed as she spoke.

"Ahh, let's not go there, Missy," he warned. "I don't think either of us wants to repeat that little episode."

"Can I have some cake please?" Ziva asked spotting it on the table and effectively changing the subject.

He cut her a piece and she bit into it, smiling contentedly as the sweetness filled her mouth.

"Oh, Tony's awake," she said when she'd swallowed the treat. "I looked in and said hi before I came down."

"I hope you didn't wake him?" asked Gibbs sternly. He wouldn't put it past her.

"I didn't Daddy, promise," she said looking up into his eyes, her own wide and innocent.

"Ok, I believe you," he soothed, stroking her hair.

Abby stood up. "Can I go up and see him?" she asked Gibbs.

"You don't have to ask Abby," said Ziva, "You're a grown up."

"It's still polite to ask Zi," Abby explained. "Especially when it's not your house."

Ziva groaned. "Too many rules!" she said rolling her eyes and flopping back against Gibbs' chest.

"Come on," said Gibbs, standing up and placing Ziva on the floor. "Let's all go up and visit the invalid. I'll just grab some fresh water from the fridge," he said as he opened the door and took out a bottle, "and we'll be on our way."

As Ziva skipped on ahead, Gibbs put his arm around Abby's shoulder and squeezed her to him. She leant into him feeling the warmth of his body as he held her close.

"See Abs," he said, placing a kiss on her cheek. "You don't have to be little to enjoy a hug." And, with arms around each other, he led her up the stairs.


	18. Trouble Brewing

Chapter 18

By Wednesday, the Gibbs' household was almost back to normal. Tony was feeling remarkably better, and other than a stuffy nose and a slightly lingering sore throat, he was back to his usual self. Gibbs had managed to spend most of Monday night and Tuesday painting Ziva's room and tonight would be her first night sleeping in there.

"I can't wait Daddy," she said excitedly as she bit into her sandwich. "ifs gon be fo muf fa!"

"Don't speak with your mouth full please," Gibbs admonished. "Besides the fact it looks terrible, I can't understand a word you're saying."

She swallowed and repeated, "It's going to be so much fun."

Gibbs smirked and nodded. He looked at the untouched plate in Tony's place and called into the living room. "Tony, your lunch is here. Turn off the television and come and eat." When he received no response, he called again, a little more sharply.

"Tony!"

"Yep, coming," came Tony's less than enthusiastic reply.

It must be a good show, thought Gibbs, for Tony to pass up food. As the boy wandered into the kitchen, Gibbs noticed that he wasn't his normal cheerful self.

"What's up?" he asked as Tony took his place. He didn't respond but lifted the bread to check the filling.

"I don't want tomato," he said, scowling at the sandwich as if it was the sandwiches' fault for filling itself with the wrong ingredients.

"You normally love tomato," replied Gibbs.

"Yeah, well I don't today," muttered Tony.

"Ok, take it out then," suggested Gibbs.

"But everything's all soggy," Tony retorted, sitting back and crossing his arms.

Gibbs sighed. Given the fact that Tony was still recovering, he gave the boy some leeway and said, "Fine, I'll eat that one, I was going to make a second sandwich anyway, and I'll make you a fresh one."

Standing up, he asked, "What would you like on it?"

"Just cheese," grumbled Tony. Gibbs thought he could at least show some gratitude. It wasn't often he chose to ignore this kind of behaviour.

He quickly made a cheese sandwich and replaced it with the one sitting on Tony's plate. As he did so, he looked pointedly at Tony. Feeling Gibbs' stare through the top of his head, Tony looked up. Noticing the look he was being given, he dropped his head and muttered, "Thanks."

Before sitting, Gibbs passed Ziva as she popped the last bit of sandwich into her mouth. Stroking her head he asked, "You done?" When she nodded he continued, "Well how about you finish putting away some of the stuff in your room? I'll be up in a minute."

He watched as she placed her plate on the sink and skipped out of the room. Going back to his seat, he sat down and looked at Tony.

"What's up?" he asked.

Tony shrugged and picked at his sandwich.

"Tony, I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong," Gibbs insisted, moving his chair closer so he could place his hand on Tony's shoulder.

Tony sighed and then said, "I don't remember."

"You don't remember what's wrong," asked Gibbs confused.

"No," said Tony annoyed at the mistake, "I don't remember… me." He looked at Gibbs and the older man noticed there were tears in his eyes.

"I don't know what you mean Tony," replied Gibbs concerned.

Tony pushed his plate away from him.

"I mean I'm starting to forget who I am, who I was. I look at Ziva and she doesn't talk about anything to do with…," he paused to find the right word, "before. She just acts like she's always been five. I'm scared Dad, I don't remember being big, it's just like flashes now."

"Oh Tony," said Gibbs gently, stroking the young boy's head. "I'm sorry, I should have said something to you. I was noticing Ziva as well and I guessed something like this would start happening to you too. Maybe we should have talked about it?"

Tony continued staring at the table.

"Did something bring this on or have you been thinking about it for a while?" Gibbs asked.

"Kinda both, I've been thinking about it, but I was watching the tv and they showed some war footage and the caption said it was Operation Desert Storm, 1991 and I suddenly thought, I should remember that. But, I didn't. It was kind of familiar but not really."

He looked into Gibbs' blue eyes. "It scared me. I couldn't remember."

They sat there together, the silence growing like a storm cloud, covering them yet threatening to break. Suddenly Gibbs had an idea.

"Wait here a sec," he said to Tony as he got up and went into the living room. He returned a couple of minutes later, laptop in hand and various cables stretched out behind him. Placing it on the table, he opened the cover.

"Can you get that thing on the internet for me?" he asked Tony.

Tony smiled and proceeded to do as asked.

Gibbs pressed a few keys and then brought up some footage on the screen. It was of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers.

"Do you remember this," he asked as Tony stared at the screen.

"Yeah," said Tony frowning. "There were four planes weren't there?" He looked at Gibbs for confirmation. "Two hit the Twin Towers…" he thought carefully, "one hit the Pentagon and the other…" he furrowed his brow, "the other crashed in Pennsylvania. They think it was heading for the White House. I remember!" He looked up smiling.

"That's great Tony," said Gibbs. "Now can you remember where you were when you heard the news?"

Tony looked at the screen and thought hard. "I saw it on TV, but it wasn't at home. There were heaps of people around me. You…" he said looking at Gibbs. He stood up and began to pace the room. "You were there and so was Ducky and Abby. I remember orange, lots of orange. I was sitting on a desk, my desk, and Abby was crying into my shoulder." He stopped pacing. "I was at work, with you. That's right isn't it?"

"Yes, Tony that's right." Gibbs smiled at him. "That was five years ago. So technically still in your living memory, even as a ten year old. Let's try something else. Something that happened earlier, more than ten years ago."

After a minute or two, Gibbs uploaded the news footage of the Space Shuttle Challenger exploding just after take-off. Tony, standing behind Gibbs, watched over his shoulder and frowned.

"Do you remember this?" asked Gibbs turning around to see Tony's face.

"Kind of. It's a bit like the Desert Storm stuff, it's familiar but it's like watching an event that happened before I was born. I was born when this happened wasn't I?"

"Yes, it was January, 1986 so you would have been thirteen." Gibbs confirmed.

"No, I don't really remember it." Tony sat down again and looked at Gibbs. "It's really weird. It's like my life has started again and everything that happened before the dart hit me, is a blur, like it was a different life. But, I know that last week I could remember more, I could remember being at work, being in my apartment. But today, up until I saw the 9/11 stuff, I had forgotten all of that. Do you think it will all go? I won't remember anything?"

"I don't know Tony," said Gibbs shaking his head. "Judging by what is happening with Ziva, there probably will come a time when you won't remember your past. Ziva hasn't slipped into her adult self for nearly a week now. I'm assuming the same will happen to you as well. This is the first time I've seen the adult Tony since last Sunday morning when we talked at breakfast."

They sat in silence again, each deep in their own thoughts.

"Tony," began Gibbs. "What do you remember about yesterday or last Sunday? What I mean is, as your adult self, what do you remember during those times when you are thinking and acting like a ten year old. Are the memories clear?"

"Yeah, they are," clarified Tony. "But I feel kind of embarrassed. A bit like as if I were drunk and doing something stupid and regretting it in the morning. But the memory is clear, it's just embarrassing. It's a bit like last Sunday morning, when I remembered how you had held me the night before. I was really embarrassed. But, when I'm ten, it doesn't worry me."

He looked at Gibbs. "It's kind of hard to explain," he said.

"I get it," said Gibbs. "It's just interesting seeing how your mind works. I'll be honest with you, I think it will be easier for you when you are more like Ziva. She doesn't have that constant conflict happening between her two selves. She's just five now and accepts life for what it is."

"Maybe," said Tony. "But right now, that scares the hell outta me! If it's gonna happen, I just wish it would hurry up so I don't remember this other life."

He took a bite of his sandwich and thought while he chewed. Swallowing, he said, "Do you think, when this stuff wears off, we'll remember this time, as in, this time with you? Or will it be like we've lost two years of our lives?"

"Don't know," replied Gibbs honestly. "I hope you remember your time being young again. Maybe give you a chance to build some new memories of childhood and erase some of the thoughts and feelings you have due to the life you led before."

"Yeah, me too," said Tony smiling. "You're a great Dad, I'll miss you when I grow up again."

"Miss me?" replied Gibbs. "I don't plan on going anywhere. You're stuck with me Tony DiNozzo, whether you want to be or not. Once your Dad, always your Dad, whether you're ten, thirty-three or fifty. And you will always be my son."

Tony smiled. "I love you Dad," he said.

"I love you too Tony," said Gibbs, leaning forward and pulling Tony into a hug. "Now hurry up and eat that sandwich, I made it especially for you," he demanded playfully.

"OK," replied Tony. Then, grinning he added, "It would be much better with some tomato on it."

"Grrrr," growled Gibbs as he pretended to throttle Tony.

After finishing his sandwich, Tony continued to research things that had happened in history while Gibbs, having also finished his second sandwich made himself a cup of coffee. He wanted to be on hand should Tony have any questions about what he was researching. While Tony was looking back at the 9/11 footage of the Twin Towers on fire, Ziva walked in the kitchen.

Staring over his shoulder, she said casually, "They fall down," before heading to the fridge and taking out a bottle of juice.

"Do you remember that Zi?" asked Tony curiously.

"No," she replied, pulling up the pop-top and drinking the juice.

"Then how do you know they fall down?" he asked again.

"I don't know," she shrugged, "I just do."

Tony looked at Gibbs. "Bring up the other one I showed you?" Gibbs suggested.

Tony did as he was asked and, when the footage came on the screen, he said to Ziva, "What about this, do you know what this is?"

"Yes." Her confidence was almost alarming. "January 28th 1986. Seven people died including a teacher from the space programme."

Tony started at her. "You actually remember this happening?"

"No, I don't _actually_ remember it," she said copying his words. "I just know what happened and when it happened." She sucked on her juice some more.

"Ziva," began Gibbs, turning her around so she was facing him. "What do you remember about your family? Who's in your family."

"That's easy Daddy, there's you and Tony and Abby and Timmy and…."

Gibbs smiled at her. "No honey, I mean your other family. Your first family."

"Oh…um….." she looked up at the ceiling thinking hard. "There's Ima and Abba and Ari and Me. Oh and Ima is having a baby, I hope it's going to be a little sister, because I've already got a brother."

She paused, frowning. "It….it is a sister. I think…Tali….how do it know that?" She shrugged. "I must be magic," she giggled.

It amazed Gibbs how simply she saw things and could just accept them. Thank God he thought. He was so tempted to ask her about Ari, but he knew it wouldn't be a good idea. Even if she didn't remember what happened, it was sure to bring up some difficult memories for her.

"Why are you looking at that stuff anyway? It's sad," she said brightly. "You should look at happy things like Dora the Explorer or Elmo or something like that."

"Very true, Sweat Pea," said Gibbs. "Now, tell me, what have you been up to?"

"I've been organising my room Daddy," she announced putting the now empty juice bottle on the table. "I've put away all my clothes and my books and some of the jigsaws Abby bought for me. Do you want to come and see?"

"Sure," he said and, taking her hand, he allowed himself to be led up the stairs.

Going into her room, he was surprised by how beautifully she had set things out. Everything had a place. Looking at the walls though, he thought they were a little bare and decided he would look for some pictures or cut-outs to help liven them up.

"Good job Sweetie," he said as he looked around. "This looks very neat and ordered. I'm sure you won't have any problems finding things." She beamed at his praise. "Would you like to help me make your bed so that it's all ready for you tonight?"

"Ah huh," she nodded. "Let's do it!"

Again he was half dragged into Tony's room. As he entered, he was struck by the difference between the two. Whereas Ziva's had been neat and tidy, Tony's was anything but!

"What happened to Tony's room?" he asked looking around and the clothes strewn all over the floor, the bed unmade, an assortment of books lying in a heap. Despite the fact that Tony didn't own a lot of things, he'd managed to make the room look like a disaster zone.

"That's how he likes it Daddy," she said going over to her bed and starting to pull back the covers.

"Did you move any of his things when you were getting your clothes?" Gibbs asked. He wanted to be sure that Ziva hadn't help create the mess before he had words with Tony.

"No Daddy, I told you. This is how he likes it. I told him he should put his clothes away but he said it's easier to find them when they are all over the floor." She shrugged and continued tugging at the comforter.

Walking over to help her, Gibbs gathered the sheets, comforter and plastic protector and headed back into her room. They quickly made her bed and she smiled with satisfaction.

"All done!" she announced. She put her arms around his middle and hugged tightly, "Thank you Daddy, I love my room."

"You're welcome Sweat Pea," he returned, kissing her on the head.

She grabbed a book from one of her shelves and lay down on her bed to read. Leaving her there, he made his way downstairs.

Seeing Tony was now on the couch watching TV, he said, "You need to clean your room Tony. It looks like a bomb's hit it!"

"It's fine," shrugged Tony. "I know where stuff is."

Gibbs' marine side was screaming loudly in his head. Not only that, he was a naturally neat person anyway, so he knew the state of Tony's room was going to annoy him. It surprised him actually. As an adult Tony was remarkably neat, his apartment was always spotless. Then he remembered Tony speaking about a cleaner who came in once a week. Well, not here, he thought. Here he was going to have to keep it tidy himself.

"It's not fine," argued Gibbs. "It needs tidying. Go and do it please."

When Tony chose not to move, Gibbs growled "Now!"

"Geez," said Tony, "What's your problem? I'll get to it,"

Gibbs could tell by the tone of his voice and mannerisms, that Tony had slipped back into his ten year old self. While he may have taken, or at least ignored, that kind of attitude from the adult Tony, the ten year old Tony was not going to get away with that level of disrespect.

Picking up the remote, Gibbs turned off the television.

"Hey, I was watching that!" yelled Tony indignantly.

"Not anymore," announced Gibbs. He crouched down in front of Tony's chair and spoke softly and clearly so Tony was in no doubt as to his meaning.

"Listen carefully Tony. I know that you haven't been well and that you've been dealing with a few things with regards to your memory and how you see things now, but…" he paused to make sure Tony was listening. "I will not put up with you speaking that way to me. It is disrespectful and rude. Now, I have asked you to clean up your room. I am going to ask you one more time. If you refuse, then you will face a ten minute time out and still have to clean your room. It will just be ten minutes longer before you finish. Understand?"

"Yes," replied Tony sulkily.

"Good. So, you need to go and clean your room. You don't have a lot of things, so it shouldn't take you long to put your clothes away, make your bed and put the books, and anything else on the floor, back on the shelves. OK?"

Tony, huffing and scowling, rose from the chair and, without giving Gibbs a second look, stormed from the room and up the stairs. Gibbs smiled to himself. Despite there being five years between them, when faced with having to do something they didn't want to, there really wasn't much difference between Tony and Ziva. As he walked into the kitchen he realised that this was the first time Tony had really pushed an issue since the first couple of days after being de-aged. He wondered if, as Jenny had said, he was now feeling safe enough to start testing.

Twenty minutes later, when he was sure Tony must be finished, Gibbs headed up the stairs. It was 2.30 in the afternoon and he felt both of them would appreciate a trip to the park. As he passed Ziva's room, he looked in. She was still on her bed, reading quietly. He had to admit, it certainly looked strange to see a five year old reading a large novel. He wondered how much of it she actually comprehended. Maybe a trip to the library might not go astray this afternoon either.

She looked up when he entered and smiled.

"Hey Princess," he said smiling in return. "I thought we might take a trip to the park. How does that sound?"

"That sounds the best Daddy," she said excitedly. "But I'll need change into my pants. This skirt isn't good for climbing,"

"Sure thing," he replied. "I'll be back in a minute."

He walked up the hall to Tony's room and noticed the door was closed. Opening it, he was shocked to see Tony laying on his bed, playing with the DS, his room not looking even the tiniest bit tidier.

Hearing the door open, Tony at least had the grace to look guilty as he sat up quickly and stuffed the DS behind his back.

"Too late Mister," growled Gibbs as he strode up to the bed and grabbed hold of the DS. Putting it on the bedside table he looked directly at Tony.

"What did I tell you to do?" asked Gibbs sternly.

"Clean my room," answered Tony, his earlier attitude still very present.

"So why didn't you?"

Tony shrugged annoyingly, "Didn't feel like it."

Trying very hard not to get angry, Gibbs said, 'Well, whether you felt like it or not, I asked you to do something and I expect you to do it. I don't expect to come up here and find you completely ignoring what you're supposed to be doing. Now, what did I say would happen if you refused to clean your room?"

"Fine," huffed Tony, ignoring the question and getting off the bed. "I'll do it now. It's only a few things. I don't know what all the hassle's about."

"Yes, it is only a few things," agreed Gibbs. "Which is why it should not have taken you more than ten minutes. However, you've now got a ten minute time out so already it's turned into a twenty minute job."

"What!" argued Tony. "No way! I said I'll do it now." He started to pick some clothes off the floor.

"Too late Tony. You had that chance and you chose to ignore it." Gibbs stepped aside so the path to the doorway was clear. "Now go into my room and we'll start your time out."

"This is so stupid," grumbled Tony as he stomped his way through the door and down the hall.

Following behind, Gibbs rolled his eyes. Yep, just like Ziva, he thought.

As Tony made a huge display of throwing himself on the bed, Gibbs crouched down in front of him and engaged in eye contact. "Right, seeing as this is your first time out, I want you to be clear on the rules," reminded Gibbs. "You don't move from that spot and you don't talk. Doing either one of those things will have the timer starting again. When the timer goes off, you wait for me to speak to you before you go. Are you clear on the rules?"

When Tony just sat there refusing to speak, Gibbs said, "The timer doesn't start until I get a response from you,"

"Yes!" said Tony belligerently.

Gibbs turned to his clock and set the timer for ten minutes. Once it was started, Gibbs left the room and, standing just outside the door, he pulled out his cell and made a couple of calls. Just as he was putting the cell away, Ziva bounced out of the bathroom, a huge smile on her face. When she saw Gibbs, she stopped and frowned.

"What's wrong Daddy?" she asked.

"Nothing, Sweat Pea, Tony's just sitting in time-out and I'm waiting for the timer to stop."

Her face fell. "Does that mean we're not going to the park?" She looked down at the floor.

"No, not at all." He crouched down to her level. "I've just spoken to Abby and she's going to pick you up and take you to the park. Then Tony and I will meet you there once Tony's finished his time-out and cleaned up his room. Does that sound OK?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said. "I'd rather go with you though."

"Oh I don't know," he grinned. "Abby mentioned something about going via the ice-cream shop."

She clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "Yay!" she exclaimed.

"Do I get an ice-cream too?" yelled Tony from inside the room.

Ignoring Tony, Gibbs continued, "Go down stairs and wait for Abby. I'll be down in a minute." He patted her on the back as she skipped off towards the stairs. Going into the bedroom, Gibbs reset the timer and said to Tony, "Normally, if I have to reset the timer I don't speak with you until the time is up. But, as this is your first time-out, I will speak just this once. Yes, I had planned for us to go to the park and, providing we aren't here all afternoon, that is still on the cards. I am also more than happy to get you an ice-cream on the way. However, the more we have to reset this timer, the longer it's going to take, bearing in mind you still have your room to clean. So, whether you get an ice-cream or not, is up to you. Now," he said glancing at the clock, "you have nine minutes, thirty two left. You can see the time and can keep an eye on it. I don't want to have to come in here again to reset it. But I will if you talk or get up from this spot." And standing up, he walked out the room again.

Not wanting Tony to think he didn't trust him, Gibbs walked away from the doorway and into Ziva's room to examine the paint work. Noticing it still smelt a little of paint, he opened the window to let in some fresh air. As he exited her room, he caught sight of Tony's face looking around the bedroom door.

"Unbelievable!" muttered Gibbs under his breath. He walked purposefully into his room and, noticing the timer was at 4.14, he reset it to ten minutes again and left without speaking.

He heard Tony kick the bed and growl in frustrating. Not classing that as actual talking, Gibbs ignored it and stood outside the door. At least now, he thought, should Tony accuse him of not being trusted, he could give a good example of why.

On hearing Abby's voice, he headed down stairs and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "Hey Abs," he said.

"Oh poor Papa Gibbs! Is the son and heir giving you grief?"

"Hmmm, you could say that," replied Gibbs rather grimly. "Thanks for this Abs," he said smiling at her.

"No problemo!" she said. "Director Shepherd rang me just after you and said you'd teed it up with her."

"Yep, rung her first," he said. "Don't want to be in her bad books." Crouching down to Ziva he said, "Now, you be a good girl for Abby and do exactly what she says, OK?"

"Yes Daddy, I'll be good, I promise," she replied giving him a tight hug.

"I know you will Sweat Pea," he said. "Now Tony and I should be there soon, but if we can't make it, I'll give Abby a call and she can bring you home when it's time."

He opened the door and waved them goodbye saying, "Have fun!"

"We will Gibbs," said Abby.

"Bye Daddy," yelled Ziva.

He closed the door and sighed. Looking at his watch, he noticed that there should only be a couple of minutes left on the timer. Heading up the stairs, he waited until he felt sure the timer should have finished. Realising he hadn't heard a beep, he walked into the bedroom and looked at the clock. 6.25? That can't be right.

He pressed 'pause' and looked at Tony. He noticed Tony was looking very guilty.

"I've paused the timer so I can speak to you and I need you to answer me. Why is the timer showing that time? It should have stopped a couple of minutes ago?"

Tony squirmed on the bed and refused to talk.

"I need an answer Tony and the timer doesn't start until I've received that answer." Gibbs continued to stare at him.

"I tried to make it say zero and it didn't work, it just reset itself to ten minutes again," mumbled Tony.

"Ah well, that'll teach ya," said Gibbs, trying hard not to smile. He pressed the pause off and watch the timer continue its count down, then headed back into the hall.

Finally Gibbs heard the beeper sound. Going into the bedroom, he switched it off, then turned to Tony. "So why did I put you in time out?"

"Because I didn't clean my room when I said I would," Tony answered mechanically.

"Right. Now, go back in your room and clean it up please."

He watched at Tony rose from the bed and stomped out of the room. About two seconds later he heard Tony's bedroom door slam shut. Sighing, he stood up, made his way to Tony's room and opened the door.

"Tony, if you want to huff and puff, stamp your feet or stomp around, that's fine. But do NOT slam your bedroom door. You will damage the door, the frame, the hinge or all three. Take your frustrations out on something that can't be damaged like punching a pillow. Now," here Gibbs softened his tone, "the quicker you clean up this room, the quicker we can go to the park."

Walking out the door, Gibbs went back down stairs and poured himself yet another cup of coffee. Sitting at the table, he sipped the brew and waited for the caffeine to filter through his bloodstream and into his brain. Looking around, he made the realisation that, if he was going to be spending so much time sitting at this table waiting for one or both of his children to finish a time-out, he was going to need to get some decent reading material.

He thought of his boat in the basement. It'd probably been a week since he'd been down there. He couldn't remember a time when a week had gone by without him working down in the basement. Then he stopped. Yes, he could. When Shannon and Kelly had been alive, the basement was just a hobby, not an obsession. He had tinkered down there some nights, sometimes on a Saturday afternoon with Kelly by his side. And it didn't mean anything if a week or two passed between visits. He had more important things to do with his time.

He smiled to himself as understanding dawned. He had more important things to do with his time. Once again, his life had purpose. He had two little lives to take care of, to nurture and protect. "Ahh Shan," he said aloud. "It'd be just like you to orchestrate this whole thing. Always makin' sure I was happy. Well, if it was you, I thank you my love. You have given me a reason to live again."

"Who ya talking to?" asked a voice from the door.

Looking up, Gibbs saw Tony standing there.

"Myself," he answered, standing up. "So, all done?" he asked.

"Yep," said Tony. "You can check if you like?"

"I will check Tony, but not because I don't believe you, it's because I want to be able to tell you what a great job you've done."

He ran up the stairs with Tony following. Entering the bedroom, he was genuinely pleased with the great job Tony had done. The bed was made, the floor clean and the various items were back on the shelves. He pulled Tony in for a hug and kissed his head. "Good job Bud. Your room looks terrific. Now how about you put on some clothes suitable for the park and we go and meet Abby and Ziva?"

Tony turned and wrapped his arms around Gibbs' middle, burying his head in his chest. "I'm sorry Dad," he said into Gibbs' shirt.

Bending down, Gibbs lifted Tony up. He smiled when he noticed Tony didn't protest about being held like a baby, but instead wrapped his legs around Gibbs' waist and tightened his hold around his neck. "love you Dad," he whispered into his shoulder.

"I love you too Tony," Gibbs replied, lifting him slightly and supporting him under the bottom. "I know there are going to be times when you test me and that's fine. As my son you have every right to do that. But just know, as your Dad, I have every right to make sure you know the consequences and follow through on them. I'll never send you away Tony. Heck, I'd miss ya too much!" He heard Tony giggle into his shoulder. "I don't like having to put you or Ziva in time-out and I certainly don't ever want to have to spank you like I did Ziva, But if it means keeping you safe and proving to you that I love you, then I will do it every time, because you and Ziva mean the world to me and I would stop heaven and earth to make sure you are safe, loved and protected. OK?"

He felt Tony nod.

"Good! Now," he patted Tony lightly on the bottom, "hurry up and get changed so we can go to the park. And I think a chocolate ice-cream on the way wouldn't go astray." He put Tony down.

"Me neither!" shouted Tony as he ran to his cupboard to find some play clothes.

Gibbs went back to his room to grab his jacket, keys and cell. As he met Tony on the landing he smiled to himself. Yep, Tony was feeling safe enough to start testing. Despite the frustrations of the past hour, he was actually glad that Tony had taken this first step.

However, had he known what lie ahead, he would never have dared to even consider that thought.


	19. Testing the Waters

**AN: ****I am so sorry everyone, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to see why Gibbs regrets being happy about Tony testing. This chapter was still needed as a lead in otherwise it would have been too out of character for Tony.**

Chapter 19 Testing the Waters

By Friday afternoon Gibbs was, to say the least, totally exhausted. He had a new found admiration for single parents and vowed he would never criticize again. It was damn hard work. But, it was now Friday and, despite not actually going to a place of work through the week, he still had that Friday evening joy. Tim had rung earlier to see if he and Abby could come for dinner, they were bringing Chinese, and Jen had also called to offer her assistance to the dinner arrangements. He had to say, he was feeling decidedly loved, cared for and well fed! The only missing link tonight would be Ducky who, when Gibbs rang, was quick to inform him that he and Brigette were otherwise engaged tonight having secured tickets for the opera to see La Boheme. Gibbs smiled. He was very happy for his friend and hoped that he and Brigette would enjoy many more evenings in each other's company.

The last two days had been busy but satisfying. Thursday was spent visiting the library and both Tony and Ziva had stocked up on a range of books more suitable to their comprehension age. They had then visited a toy library. Having never heard of one before, the librarian had suggested it to Gibbs, when she heard Tony complaining that he was going to need more than just books to make his life bearable. Gibbs had been extremely impressed when they entered the smaller building attached to the community centre. It was wall to wall toys, games and puzzles including a section dedicated to outdoor equipment. Each child was allowed to pick up to ten items to borrow with a limit of two items each for the outdoor section. They could keep the toys for up to four weeks and, should no-one have specifically requested one of their toys, they could renew it for a further four weeks. In Gibbs' opinion, this concept was brilliant. It allowed Tony and Ziva to explore where their new interests lay without having to spend a huge amount of money on toys and games.

Thursday afternoon was spent discussing the practicalities of their tree house and climbing fort. Both Tony and Ziva were full of ideas of what they wanted and neither one was prepared to listen to ,or compromise, with the other. It was only after Gibbs threatened to boycott all ideas of a tree house, that they suddenly became a little more cooperative. In the end it was decided that the tree house would sit along the bottom branches of the oak tree, about 8ft off the ground and a climbing fort would adjoin the tree house to the neighbouring Silver Ash and continue along to the second, but smaller oak in the garden. A wooden ladder would enable easy access to the tree house and several rope ladders would adorn the climbing fort. Metal pegs would be knocked into the trunk of the Silver Ash to create a ladder that would connect the two parts of the climbing frame and Gibbs decided he would finish it off with a tyre swing hanging from the second oak. All in all, it was quite a monumental task and one which would keep them all, but particularly Gibbs, busy for quite a few weeks.

When Friday morning had dawned, Gibbs had been quite excited about going to the hardware store and stocking up on all the supplies that would be needed. Unfortunately, Tony and Ziva didn't share his enthusiasm. To them, walking around a 'wood store' and Ziva called it, was boring and didn't compare in the least to the fun and excitement their new toys were currently bringing.

"Do you want this tree house or not?" Gibbs had finally asked when, after telling the two children to hurry up and get ready for the third time, they still hadn't moved. Both were currently engaged in a winner takes all checker game.

"Yeah," said Tony. "But you're the expert on wood and stuff. Why can't we just stay here?"

"Because it's against the law to leave you unattended," reminded Gibbs.

"Abby could look after us," suggested Ziva.

"Abby has to work… AND so does Tim and Jenny and Ducky," he added when he saw Ziva about to suggest one of the others.

"Tim doesn't have to work," objected Tony. "He's just writing his book."

"That _is _Tim's work," said Gibbs. "Ok, here's the deal. It doesn't worry me if we don't go to the hardware store. The tree house isn't for me. So, it's your choice. If you want a tree house and a climbing frame, then I'd suggest you get your little butts upstairs and get ready otherwise we stay here and I don't want to hear a word of complaint that there's nothing to do outside. So, what's it gonna be?"

Tony and Ziva looked at each other and sighed."OK," they said together and, putting down their winning checkers, they finally ran upstairs to get ready.

As it turned out, they had both enjoyed looking around at all the wood and making decisions as to the thickness of the rope or the shape of the metal pegs, it had just taken a bit of convincing to get them there. Ironically, when it came time to leave, Gibbs once again found himself negotiating a different strategy to convince them they had enough supplies and were well equipped to begin the project tomorrow, so they could actually leave the store.

Gibbs had noticed the last couple of days had seen him making more compromises and negotiations than his previous fifteen years as an investigator. As much time was being spent convincing them to actually do something, as was persuading them not to do something. And now with Tony pushing boundaries as often as Ziva, he started to question the merits of 'time-out'. He was quite was sure he was spending more time watching the timer than they were, which was probably true considering they liked to indulge in boundary pushing at completely different times. He thought back to his own childhood and laughed. His father would never have participated in negotiations and persuasions. His idea of a negotiation was, should it be the belt or the paddle! Not in an abusive way, but simply because that was the way things were done back then. Gibbs wondered how long it would take for both of them to see that they didn't need to constantly push and test. But this was Tony and Ziva he was talking about. Both were stubborn, strong willed, exceptional risk takers, and determined to do what they wanted. Traits that made them excellent investigators, but extremely challenging children. And, he certainly didn't want to break their spirits, but a little cooperation for more than two hours would be nice for a change.

Looking at the clock, Gibbs noticed it was already 5pm. Knowing Abby, Tim and Jenny were arriving around six, he stepped outside and called Tony and Ziva to come inside. They came running in, both flushed from playing in the sun and immediately went to the fridge to get some water.

While they were guzzling down their drinks, Gibbs spoke.

"Tim, Abby and Jenny are coming around tonight with some Chinese for us…"

"Yay!" shouted Ziva. "I love Chinese."

"You love everything," said Tony rolling his eyes.

"Nah ah," she contradicted. "I don't like pork or bacon or…"

"That's only because you've never had them. How do you know if you don't like them? You may love them," said Tony.

"There not Kosher," replied Ziva shocked that Tony should suggest she try them.

"That's what I mean, you've…."

"Enough!" interrupted Gibbs. "We are not having a discussion on Jewish traditions and laws right now."

Seeing Tony open his mouth to argue, Gibbs cut him off with a glare.

"What I was going to say was, it may be a good idea if you both shower and bath now, so that you are ready for when they arrive and can spend time with them right up to bedtime."

"Can we stay up a bit later tonight?" asked Tony, his tone daring Gibbs to say no.

"Yes, you always do when we have visitors," replied Gibbs.

"What time?" asked Tony.

"Well that depends on the activity. If you're watching a movie you can stay up until the movie's finished, if you're playing a game, you can stay up until the game finishes. If you're just sitting on the couch and doing nothing, you can stay up until ten o'clock." Gibbs tried hard not to sound frustrated. Everything was specifics with Tony at the moment, and he had to remember to stay calm and not engage in unnecessary battles.

"So, I'll run the bath for Ziva and then you can get a shower when she's finished," he said, directing his comment to Tony.

"But what if I don't want to get showered now?" asked Tony.

Ok, thought Gibbs, he was in one of those moods.

"Well Tony, then you'll need to stop whatever it is your doing tonight, about half an hour before it finishes, so that you can have a shower and get ready for bed," answered Gibbs as calmly as he could muster.

"But that's so unfair! Why can't I just stay up like you do?"

Sighing, Gibbs turned to Ziva, "Honey, can you go upstairs and get your pjs ready and I'll be up in a minute to start the bath, OK?"

"But I want to watch Tony get in trouble," she said. She had been watching the discussion between Tony and Gibbs like one watching a tennis match. She figured they were pretty evenly matched at this point but was keen to see Gibbs hit the winning shot.

"You'll be watching yourself getting into trouble in a minute," Gibbs said reproachfully. "Now go please."

"O-K," she grumbled, trudging out the room. "I miss all the good stuff."

When Ziva had gone, Gibbs turned to Tony.

"Now listen to me young man. I've pretty much had enough of your attitude lately. I've explained to your options for tonight. But maybe I left one out. And that is, you can go to bed right now and not see anyone for the evening. I'll make you a sandwich and that will be it."

Tony stood there, the picture of total defiance. With his arms crossed, mouth pursed and eyes looking off to the side he was in no mood for compromise. Gibbs continued.

"Now, that's not what I would like to see happen. I would much rather have you down here with the rest of us, enjoying Chinese and each other's company. But, if you want to make this difficult for yourself, then continue carrying on the way you are now, and you'll find out just how 'unfair' I can be."

Gibbs paused to allow the information to sink in before he added. "Now the choice is yours Tony. You don't have to get a shower now. But, bear in mind, if we are watching a movie, how are you going to feel having to get up half an hour before it finishes to get ready for bed? I'm sure you'd much rather watch to the end, knowing everything's done that needs to be. I know I would."

"Yeah, but you don't have to go to bed then!" And with that, Tony stormed past Gibbs and up the stairs.

Gibbs sighed. He just didn't know what to do. He didn't want to come down too hard on Tony and yet he didn't feel it was right to let him get away with this kind of attitude and disrespect. He knew it had been incredibly hard on both of them, but Tony especially considering he'd had his adult memory for longer and had struggled more than Ziva to come to terms with what was happening. He smiled to himself, maybe it was time for another session with Dr Jenny Shepherd, his child psychiatrist. He took the stairs two at a time, mentally arming himself for whatever battle he may need to wage when he reached the top.

However, to his great delight, Gibbs had managed a win tonight. After helping Ziva to brush the tangles out of her wet hair, he had been thrilled to see Tony head into the bathroom. He hadn't said anything, but waited until Tony had finished and was combing his hair in his bedroom.

"Thanks Tony," he said gently as he stepped into the room. He noticed Tony wasn't in his pyjamas.

"I don't want to wear my pjs," said Tony. "I'd feel like a baby."

"I've no problem with that," said Gibbs. "It won't take you more than two minutes to put them on at bedtime." He sat down on Tony's bed.

"Tony, I'm not trying to make your life difficult or be a bas…bad guy," he amended quickly, realising that Tony was no longer an adult. "I just want to help you make the right decisions in life, decisions that are the best for you."

"Yeah, I know," Tony said. "I don't want to talk about it anymore, I get it ok?"

"Ok," said Gibbs.

He was just about to leave when Tony said. "You were about to say bastard before weren't you?"

"Yup," answered Gibbs smirking. "Figured it's probably not appropriate considering I'm trying to teach you the right thing."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," said Tony. "You can't change the spelling of your name." He grinned cheekily at Gibbs.

"You still remember that, hey?" asked Gibbs.

"Yep, some things are just ingrained. A bit like the head slap," he replied.

"Well in that case, consider yourself very lucky. My hand had been pretty itchy the last couple of days."

"Yeah?" replied Tony as he put the comb down. "You should talk to Ducky about getting some cream for that!"

'Watch it!" said Gibbs as he swatted Tony on the backside. The boy giggled and raced on down the stairs. Gibbs smiled. It was nice having the cheerful, cheeky Tony back, even if it was probably only for a couple of hours.

When Abby and Tim arrived an hour later, it was to find Gibbs, Jenny, Tony and Ziva all sitting happily in the living room watching the television.

"Hey Gibbs," said Abby as she and Tim entered the living room. "Sorry, we're late but…" she held up the bags, "we've got food!"

"Excellent!" exclaimed Tony. "I'm starving!"

They all made their way into the kitchen and it wasn't long before everyone was busy eating and discussing their day. As Abby was filling Jenny in on some DNA swabs she was testing for McDonald's team, Tim was trying to explain to Gibbs how he was having trouble figuring out how to connect two characters in his book.

"You see Boss, I've already got the basic plot outline for the third book in this series and I'd like to develop these two characters so they can continue…hey!" He stopped suddenly as a mushroom came flying over the table and hit him on the cheek. Looking up, he saw Tony delving innocently into the remainder of the food on his plate. Not fooled for a minute, Tim said, "Tony, what did you do that for?"

"Do what?" asked Tony innocently.

"You know what!" replied Tim, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Tony shrugged nonchalantly and continued eating. Deciding it was easier to let it go, Tim continued. "So, as I was saying, these two characters don't really….TONY!" This time a piece of broccoli had made its way to his side of the table. "Cut it out!"

"Tony," warned Gibbs.

"What?" said Tony again, eyes wide in mock innocence.

"You know very well what," replied Gibbs. "And, if it happens again, you and I will be leaving the table.

Tony rolled his eyes and sighed loudly, but he didn't argue and continued to eat his meal. Gibbs turned back to Tim, and despite having no clue as to what the man was telling him, he feigned interest to encourage Tim to continue the conversation.

"Anyway," Tim began, "I really don't know what would be the best way to connect these two. They both witness the murder, but I'd like there to be some sort of background between them. You know, kind of like a twist that…."

Splat! A second mushroom hit him square on the nose. Ziva gasped.

"Uh oh," she said seeing the ominous look on Gibbs' face.

"Excuse us," Gibbs said to the group as he grabbed Tony by the arm and forcibly dragged him from the room.

"Tony's in BIG trouble," informed Ziva, in case there was any doubt. "He's been sooooo bad lately. He was supposed to clean his room and he told Daddy he would but when Daddy went in there he…"

"Yes, thank you Ziva," interrupted Jenny. She really didn't think Gibbs or Tony would appreciate Ziva giving a blow by blow account of their daily interactions.

"But I was just getting to the good part," she whined. "Because then Daddy…"

"Ziva," said Jenny firmly. "How would you like it if Tony told everyone about a time when you were naughty?"

"I wouldn't," she sighed.

"Exactly," said Jenny. "So eat your dinner and forget about it please."

Abby and Tim exchanged looks and smirked at each other. Having not spent a great deal of time with mini Tony and Ziva, they were finding these little interactions very amusing.

"You shouldn't laugh at people when they get into trouble," said Ziva, catching the smirk. "That's not nice."

"Er, no, you're right Ziva, it… ahh…isn't nice," stammered Tim, finding himself put in his place by a five year old. "But we..ahh…weren't laughing at Tony we were just er..smiling at how…um…"

"Cute you are," finished Abby smiling at Ziva. "Yep, that's what we were doing. So Zi, tell me all about the toy library."

Ziva's eyes widened as she launched into the magical place that was the community toy library. Jenny smiled as she saw Tim slump with relief. He may bring down hardened criminals, but he had no idea how to cope when challenged by a five year old.

Still holding Tony's arm, Gibbs had taken him to the entry hall so that their conversation couldn't be heard from the kitchen. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Gibbs let go of Tony and said very quietly, "What do you think you're doing Tony?"

"Just having fun," replied Tony.

"The first time was having fun," remarked Gibbs, still speaking quietly to avoid being overheard, "After that it became annoying. Tim asked you twice to stop and I asked you once. Why did you ignore us?"

"I was sick of hearing about his stupid book," snapped Tony. "Geez, it was only a bit of food! You'd think I'd tipped acid on his face or something."

"Right, I'm not getting into a debate with you. You knew it was wrong. You've got a ten minute time-out," Gibbs pointed to the stairs. "Sit there and wait until I come back. And don't even think about arguing or moving."

When Tony didn't move, Gibbs said much louder, "Sit!"

Throwing himself on the step, Tony crossed his arms and stared defiantly at the door.

Gibbs walked away and, entering the kitchen, he turned the timer to ten minutes and then sat down to finish eating. The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence as everyone tried to pretend nothing had happened. Even Ziva had the foresight to keep her mouth closed.

"This is great Chinese, Abs," remarked Gibbs trying to lighten the mood. "Usual place?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Abby, "I think they've changed hands though, I noticed there were different people serving and it took ages for the food to come."

Gibbs nodded and, because there really wasn't anything more to add, the meal continued in silence.

After a couple of minutes, Gibbs spoke again, "Ziva, why don't you tell everyone about the tree house we're going to build?"

Thankfully, as Ziva barraged everyone with tales of the tree house and the accompanying climbing fort, Gibbs felt the mood lighten a little. Putting down his fork, he rubbed his hand over his face and glanced at the timer, 4.45. Catching his eye, Jenny smiled encouragingly at him, and mouthed, "_You ok_?" He returned the smile and nodded, but she could see the situation was taking its toll. She knew Gibbs was a very private person, so the idea of having to punish in public, was not one that sat well with him.

Along with Abby and Tim, Jenny listened indulgently to Ziva's ramblings while still keeping an eye on Gibbs. She felt for him. Three weeks ago, his life as much as Tony and Ziva's had been thrown into total turmoil. She wondered whether it might be worth offering to take Tony and Ziva for a couple of days to give him a break. She knew he loved them, but a little respite might be just the thing he needed.

Just as Ziva was explaining how the two parts to the climbing frame were connected by the Silver Ash, the timer beeped making everyone jump.

As Gibbs got up, Ziva said, "Daddy, does this mean I can stop talking now, my throat is getting sore." Tousling her hair as he passed, Gibbs laughed. She really was a smart little cookie. She had identified the reason why he had asked her to explain about the tree house to the point where, as soon as the beeper sounded, she felt her 'duties' were finished.

"Yes honey," he said simply, as he exited the room.

Walking though the living room, Gibbs took a deep breath before facing Tony again. He didn't want this to steam roll into something bigger than it needed to be. Seeing Tony sitting on the step, he took a seat next to him.

"I'm not gonna ask you why you're in time out. You already know that," began Gibbs calmly. "What I do want to know though, is why did you continue throwing food at Tim after both of us had asked you to stop?"

Tony shrugged.

"Think about it, I'd like an answer," said Gibbs.

"I don't know," replied Tony. "I just did it. He was annoying me."

"How was he annoying you?" asked Gibbs.

"I don't know," repeated Tony, "He just was."

Gibbs knew there was more to this than Tony was willing to share. But he didn't want to drag it out. He was worried though. Unresolved, this could fester and develop into something bigger, and Gibbs was more than keen to nip it in the bud right now. But, with Tony being unwilling to discuss it any further, Gibbs had no choice but to let it go for now.

"Ok, we'll leave it there then," sighed Gibbs. "I think you owe Tim an apology though."

When Tony looked at him with a horrified expression, Gibbs continued. "I don't mean in front of everyone, although you did embarrass him in front of everyone. That's something you may want to think about. What I mean is, find a quiet moment and privately apologise. That's the right thing to do, and, if the tables were turned, you'd expect the same."

Gibbs stood, "I'm going back in the kitchen, are you coming?"

Tony nodded and stood. Following Gibbs, he quietly returned to his seat and picked up his fork.

"Would you like me to reheat that for you?" asked Gibbs reaching for Tony's plate.

"Yes, please," replied Tony contritely.

Seeing as everyone else had finished their meal and, wanting to take the attention away from Tony, Abby stood and said, "Well, that was delicious. It's a pity they don't offer a cleaning service as well. Come on Timmy, let's get these dishes started."

Grateful for the distraction, Gibbs didn't even try to stop her. Grabbing a couple of tea towels from the drawer, he threw one at Tim and kept hold of the other. As Abby filled the sink, her cheerful banter with Tim lifted the atmosphere and by the time the dishes were being put away, even Tony was engaging in conversation.

"We got these great games from the toy library," he said to Tim. "Do you want to play checkers?"

"Sure Tony," said Tim, pleased that Tony wasn't holding a grudge for the earlier incident. As they walked into the living room Tony stopped Tim and said, "I'm sorry for throwing food at you. I was just being stupid."

"That's ok," replied Tim. "I've done some pretty stupid things too. At least you didn't super glue my fingers to the cutlery!" he laughed.

Tony looked at him, definitely confused at the comment.

"You know," clarified Tim, "Like you used to do with my keyboard."

"No I didn't," said Tony, "But it sounds like a good idea!"

As Tony left to get the checkers game from his room, Tim stared after him.

"That's been happening to both of them." Tim turned around to see Gibbs standing in the doorway. "Ziva too, they don't remember much from their earlier lives, if anything at all. Certainly day to day things are gone."

"Wow," said Tim, trying to comprehend what Gibbs had just said. "That must be so hard."

"Well thankfully they don't really know any different, particularly Ziva," replied Gibbs. "Tony had a moment of adult clarity yesterday, but I think that may well be the last time."

"That's so sad," said Abby coming into the room. "I mean for us, not them. Sometimes I really miss Ziva. I was just starting to get to know her as a friend, you know, after Kate and everything." She walked over to Gibbs and he put his arm around her.

"Yeah, I know Abs, I miss them too," said Gibbs, kissing her on the temple. "But the mini versions are pretty good as well, just different. And, if we can make a difference to their lives by making this time special, then that's gonna be my goal. I've just gotta get through the next couple of days without strangling them both." He smirked.

Jenny walked in carrying Ziva on her hip. "You mean this little button has been giving you grief?" she asked tickling Ziva as she spoke. "I don't believe it!"

"Not me! I'm a good girl, aren't I Daddy" she said giggling as Jenny continued to tickle her ribs.

"Yep, you're always a good girl, you just sometimes make interesting choices that maybe don't end up so well for you," said Gibbs, squeezing her knees and making her squirm even more.

"Like trying to paint the outside table purple?" she asked still squirming in Jenny's arms.

"That's the one!" confirmed Gibbs.

"But it would have looked pretty," she insisted.

"Well, how about you paint the tree house instead? That will look good," suggested Gibbs.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "We could paint the walls and ceiling purple and use the green from Tony's room for the roof and maybe get some yellow for the climbing fort and…."

"Yuck Ziva," said Tony coming into the room, checkers in hand. "We are not having a purple tree house!"

"Why not?" asked Ziva, quite offended that Tony should disagree.

"Because I said so!" he replied, ending the conversation.

"Daddy that's not fair," said Ziva, turning to Gibbs. "The tree house is for both of us and I get a say too."

"I think we may leave this discussion for another day," suggested Gibbs, giving Ziva a pointed look.

"But Daddy?" she implored, not ready to end the conversation just yet.

"Ziva, our guests really don't need to hear you and Tony arguing over paint colours. Now that's enough."

Still being held by Jenny, she crossed her arms and huffed. "That's not fair!" she yelled,

"Ziva," said Jenny sternly. "Daddy said that's enough."

Ziva, frustrated that she couldn't continue the conversation and now angered by Jenny's comment, looked at her and said, "You shut up, you're not the boss of me!"

"Ziva David!" began Gibbs crossly, holding out his arms to take hold of her.

"No Jethro," said Jenny, "I'll deal with this." And she took Ziva into the kitchen.

"Come on Tim," said Tony, "Let's go to my room and play checkers. It could get pretty noisy down here soon."

"Er, ok?" replied Tim, quite unsure of what to do and looking to Gibbs for confirmation.

"Yeah, that's fine," said Gibbs. "Tony's right, it could get pretty noisy in here soon."

Right on cue, Ziva's voice echoed from the kitchen. "Leave me alone!" she yelled.

"Come on," insisted Tony, grabbing Tim's arm and dragging him up the stairs.

When they'd left, Abby looked at Gibbs and, shrugging her shoulders, said, "Movie?"

"Yeah why not," he replied. "We could be in for a long night."

In the kitchen Jenny had placed Ziva in the chair, while she turned to set the timer. But Ziva was having none of it. As soon as Jenny let go, she hopped up and made to run off. Catching her arm, Jenny placed her back in the chair.

"Leave me alone!" yelled Ziva.

"Ziva, there's no point in me starting the timer until you are sitting in the chair." Jenny held her arms tightly to avoid the little girl hitting out at her. "You need to calm down," she said. "You are going in time-out for being rude to me. I will not tolerate that kind of behaviour from you and I think you know it."

"Let. Me. Go!" growled Ziva, kicking out with each word. "You're not Daddy, you can't do this!"

"Yes I can Ziva, and I am," replied Jenny calmly. "You were rude to me, not Daddy. So it's up to me to put you in time out. Now you need to settle down. This is not helping anyone, especially you."

"No!" screamed Ziva. "Daddy!" she called out beginning to cry. "Daddy, p- pl-please." The sobs had started.

It took every ounce of Gibbs' will power not to interfere. Sitting in the living room, not even aware of what was on the TV, he listened to his little girl scream out his name. He trusted Jenny implicitly, but that voice tugged at his heart and made it almost impossible to ignore. However, he knew if he went in there now, he would undermine everything Jenny was trying to do. This was her battle and Ziva needed to learn that, when it came to discipline, Jenny had as much authority as he did. He felt Abby take his arm and entwine it with hers. He smiled at her. She knew he was hurting.

"She'll be fine Gibbs," she said gently.

"I know Abs," he answered.

"Ziva?" called Jenny above the sobs and yelling. "I'm going to start the timer now, and if you need help staying there, I'm happy to do that." She turned while still holding Ziva firmly and, stretching, managed to reach the timer with one hand and set it for five minutes. Turning back to Ziva, who was still kicking and sobbing, Jenny crouched down on the floor next to her and, while still restraining her hands to avoid being hit, she waited patiently for the timer to tick down the minutes. It felt like an eternity.

After a minute, she noticed Ziva had stopped kicking, and after two minutes, her hold on the little girl could be relaxed slightly. Did she dare take her hand away completely? Wanting to allow Ziva the chance to show some self control, Jenny raised her arm and put it down by her side. Now Ziva was sitting in the chair with no assistance. Still sobbing, she sat with her head bowed, shoulders slumped and, together, they waited.

When the timer sounded, Jenny leaned over and switched it off. Turning back to Ziva, the little girl continued to sit with her head bowed, her shoulders occasionally hitching as her body convulsed with involuntary sobs. Jenny reached for a tissue and wiped Ziva's nose. Grabbing a second, she held it to her nose and said, "Blow," wiping again once Ziva had blown. She put both tissues in her pocket and stood up. Lifting Ziva with her, she sat back down and placed the little girl on her lap, facing her so her legs were either side of Jenny's hips.

"So, can you tell me why I put you in time-out?"

"Because, sniff…I was rude to you."

"That's right. And the reason why I did it, and not Daddy, was because you were rude to me. It was my job to make sure you knew it was wrong. That's why Daddy didn't come when you called. It's not because he didn't want to, it's because he knew that it was up to me to make sure you stayed in time-out and learnt your lesson."

"Does that mean you're like my Mommy?" Ziva asked looking up.

Not quite knowing how to answer that, Jenny thought fast.

"Well, I'm part of your family. And, as part of your family, that means it's my responsibility to make sure you are safe and looked after. Now if that means I need to put you in time-out for being naughty, then I will. Daddy trusts me to look after you and I hope that you trust me too."

"Does that mean you can spank me too?"

"Well I hope it never comes to that Ziva, but yes, if I feel you need to be spanked, then I will do that too." Jenny looked carefully at Ziva. While she wanted the little girl to understand her role in her life, she didn't want her being unsure of the expectations. "But I have the same rules as Daddy. I will only ever spank you if you are doing something dangerous or if you are deliberately being naughty."

"Does that mean Abby and Timmy and Ducky can put me in time-out and spank me too?" Suddenly Ziva's concept of all these adults being in charge was becoming overwhelming. It was time for re-enforcements.

"Jethro?" called Jenny. "Can you come in here a minute?"

When he entered the kitchen, Ziva jumped into his arms. "Daddy!" she said, nuzzling into his shoulder.

He took a seat and held her on his lap.

"Ziva and I," began Jenny, "were just discussing the fact that sometimes, if she's naughty to me, then I can put her in time out or even spank her if I feel it is necessary. That part I think she understands, don't you?"

Ziva nodded into Gibbs shoulder.

"But," continued Jenny, "She's not so sure whether Abby, Tim and Ducky can do those things as well. I thought it might be best if you explained it."

Gibbs pulled Ziva away from his chest so he could look into her eyes. "Ziva, if you are naughty to Abby, Tim or Ducky, they have the right to put you in time-out, ok?"

"But…" she began.

"But," he continued, cutting her off, "They don't have the right to spank you. That's something only Daddy or Jenny can do. And I don't think they would ever want to do that anyway. It's not that Daddy doesn't trust them, it's just that spankings are big time, and if you've done something that deserves a spanking, then I, or Jenny, needs to know about it. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes," she said looking into his eyes. "I'm sorry Daddy," she said.

"It's not me you need to apologise to, Sweat Pea," he said softly.

Ziva turned on his lap and looked at Jenny. "I'm sorry Jenny for being mean to you. I shouldn't have told you to shut up."

"Thank you for saying that," said Jenny. "Are we friends again?" she asked holding out her arms.

Ziva hopped off Gibbs' lap and launched herself into Jenny's arms.

"Yeah, we're friends," she said.

"Well, we better go back in the living room. Poor old Abby is sitting there all on her own." said Gibbs getting up. As they wandered in, they saw that Tony and Tim had also returned from playing checkers and were sitting on the sofa with Abby.

"She's not alone Daddy. She's got Timmy and Tony." said Ziva.

"So she has," stated Gibbs.

Ziva pulled away from Jenny and, walking straight up to Tim and Abby, she pointed her finger at them saying. "Ok, just so you know, you can put me and Tony in time-out if we're naughty to you, but Daddy says you're not allowed to spank us. You got that?"

They looked at each other completely bewildered and then turned to Gibbs and Jenny who were obviously trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, you got that?" repeated Gibbs smirking.

"I need an answer please," stated Ziva, hands on hips and sounding just like Gibbs.

"Ahh…yeah…sure," replied Tim completely confused.

"Right, no spankin', got it," added Abby.

"Good," said Ziva, nodding her head and crawling up onto Abby's lap. "Just so we're clear!"


	20. Hair of the Dog

**AN: I'm going to take some artistic licence here and assume that Ducky carries his medical bag around with him and that it contains saline fluid for hydration purposes. Indulge me! :)**

Chapter 20 - Hair of the Dog

Tony awoke Saturday morning to the sound of the rain pounding on his bedroom windows.

"What! No!" he exclaimed, jumping out of bed and surveying the landscape through one of the windows. Then, for no logical reason, he ran to the other window to see if it had a similar view. It did.

"Daaad!" he whined, heading into Gibbs bedroom. Seeing the bed empty, he continued down the hall, muttering phrases such as 'It's not fair,' and 'Why does it have to rain today?' He stomped into the kitchen to find Gibbs and Ziva sitting at the table eating breakfast.

"It's not fair!" he moaned, throwing himself on the chair.

"What's not fair," asked Gibbs, biting into his piece of toast.

"The rain!" answered Tony, frustrated that Gibbs didn't immediately know what he was talking about.

When Gibbs still didn't seem to understand, Tony sighed and said in an annoyed tone, "The tree house?"

"Oh," said Gibbs, comprehension dawning. "Yep, not a lot we can do today I'm afraid."

"I was really looking forward to starting that today!" whined Tony. "Tim was coming over and the three of us could have made a really good start.

"Four of us," interjected Ziva. "I'm here too!"

Ignoring her, Tony continued. "Now it'll never get done."

"Tony," began Gibbs. "I realise you're disappointed, so am I, but it will still happen. Maybe I can ask Tim to come around early tomorrow before the barbecue and we can make a start then?"

"What barbecue?" asked Tony. "That was last week."

"We're making it a regular thing," said Gibbs. "Now that everyone is doing separate things, it's a good way to catch up and touch base."

"No one asked me?" replied Tony sulkily.

"Well to be perfectly honest Tony, I didn't think I needed to," said Gibbs, getting a little annoyed. "They're our family and I think it's good that we make an effort to see each other."

"We saw them last night. Wasn't that enough?" said Tony.

"Last night was impromptu. Besides, Ducky couldn't make it last night and tomorrow Jimmy will be coming as well." Gibbs informed him.

"Oh great, more people," grumbled Tony. "Why can't it just be you, me and Tim?" he asked.

"And me!" supplied Ziva.

Again, Tony ignored her. "Why does everyone need to come?"

"Because they're family Tony," answered Gibbs. "What's wrong? You normally like it when everyone is around?"

"I get sick of it sometimes. I really wanted to build the tree house today and I thought it would just be us guys."

"And ME!" interrupted Ziva.

"Shut up Ziva!" yelled Tony, frustrated with her constant interruptions.

"You shut up!" she retaliated.

"Hey! Both of you can it!" growled Gibbs. "Now Tony, I'm sorry, as amazing as I am, I can't control the weather."

Ziva sniggered.

Tony glared at her.

"The best I can suggest, is that I ask Tim to come around a little earlier tomorrow, providing it's not still raining, and we do some then. Other than that, it is what it is." Gibbs stood up put another piece of bread in the toaster. "Do you want any toast?" he asked Tony before pushing the lever down.

"No thanks," replied Tony sighing. He grabbed the cereal and poured some into his bowl. 'I hate the rain," he grumbled as he poured on the milk.

Despite the disappointing start to the day, Tony managed to cheer up a little and, after lunch, had even suggested he and Ziva play Uno, a card game both of them had discovered at the toy library. They were playing quite happily in Tony's room when Tim decided to drop in for a visit.

"Hey Boss," he said when he finally found Gibbs in the basement.

"Oh, hi Tim," replied Gibbs looking up from the work bench.

"What ya working on?" asked Tim.

"Just cutting some of the planks to length to make things easier when we start building this tree house," replied Gibbs. "Oh, that reminds me, do you want to come a little earlier tomorrow and we can make a start on this. Tony's very disappointed that Mother Nature didn't see fit to cooperate today."

"Ahh yeah, sure," replied Tim. "About 9.30?"

"Sounds good. Beer?" asked Gibbs, then seeing Tim's face he said, "Or something stronger?"

Tim smiled, "That obvious is it?" he asked.

Gibbs went to the bar fridge and took out two beers. Handing one to Tim he said, "What's up?"

Taking a drink from the bottle Tim thought about how to word things. He'd never really felt he could talk to Gibbs much in the past, well not about personal stuff anyway. He'd always found the older man intimidating. He respected him immensely and valued his opinion, but he'd often become tongue tied and self conscious around him. But, since Gibbs had taken on this new parenting role to Tony and Ziva, Tim had found him far more approachable, human even. And, seeing how his problem revolved around his sister, he thought maybe Gibbs could offer some advice.

"I er…got this email from Sarah yesterday and I'm not sure what I should do?" Tim began. Knowing Gibbs had met his sister, he knew he would have a bit of an idea of what she could be like.

"What does she say?" asked Gibbs.

"Well, she…"

"Hey Tim!" shouted Tony from the top of the stairs. "I didn't know you were here. Why didn't you come and see me?"

"Oh, hi Tony. Sorry, I um, didn't know where you were and, well, I needed to see Gibbs," Tim replied.

"Well ya know where I am now," Tony said cheerfully. "Come and play Uno with us, it's really cool."

"Ah, not right now Tony, I kinda need to, er, talk to Gibbs," said Tim a little awkwardly.

"Oh, ok," said Tony, coming down the stairs and into the basement. He took a seat on one of the benches. "Maybe I can help as well." He beamed at Tim.

"Tony," started Gibbs. "I think Tim wants a private word with me. He can come and see you later."

"Why?" asked Tony. "I won't tell anyone."

"Tony, please," started Gibbs.

"No, it's ok," said Tim. "Tony can stay. It's not that personal."

Tony smiled and settled in for a chat. Seeing the men drinking he asked, "Hey can I have a beer?"

"No Tony," said Gibbs. "You can have a soda though."

"Why can't I have a beer like Tim?" he persisted.

"Because Tim's an adult and you are ten," replied Gibbs. "You're body doesn't need alcohol and doesn't know how to cope with it. Now it's either a soda or nothing."

Tony sauntered off towards the bar fridge and took out a soda. Popping the lid, he took a drink and said, "So Tim, how can we help."

Watching Tony carefully, Gibbs was slowly beginning to understand what had been going on with him lately. He wanted to be 'one of the boys'. His attention seeking behaviour was his way of trying to be accepted. The throwing of the food, wanting to just hang out with himself and Tim, and now, this desire to drink beer and offer advice, were Tony's ways of being 'one of the boys'. Gibbs realised he would have to tread very carefully with this one. Not only was he dealing with a preteen boy, he was also dealing with a fragile ego.

"So, if she takes it, I can't see her being able to continue her studies successfully. But, knowing what she's like, I don't know how to approach her." Tim looked expectantly at Gibbs waiting for a response.

Suddenly realising that, apart from the last sentence, he hadn't heard a word of what Tim had said, he wondered if he could just wing it or be honest and say he hadn't really been listening. Thankfully he was saved the decision when Tony said, "So what paper is she going to be writing for if she takes the journalist job?"

Thank you Tony, Gibbs silently thought. Journalist job, now he could wing this successfully.

"It's just some local paper Tony, it's not that important," said Tim, brushing him off and looking again at Gibbs.

Feeling far more prepared to help, Gibbs tried his best to offer some advice. They were deep in conversation, discussing the merits of part time work combined with studying when a flash of reflected light caught Gibbs' eye. Turning to look, he saw Tony pouring some bourbon into the tumbler Gibbs always kept near it.

"Tony!" called Gibbs, effectively ending the conversation with Tim. "What are you doing?"

"Getting a drink," said Tony. "I wanna see what it's like."

"Well you don't just help yourself, especially when it comes to alcohol," replied Gibbs shocked at what he was seeing. "I've already told you why you can't have any."

Realising again that he had to tread carefully, Gibbs continued, "Look if you really want to try a drink, why don't you have a sip of my beer?" He remembered his own Dad offering him a mouthful when he had been young.

"Pass me the tumbler," Gibbs said. When Tony did so, he swallowed what was in it and then poured a couple of mouthfuls of beer into it. "There," he said passing it back to Tony. "It's just a taste."

Tony took a mouthful and swallowed. Smiling, he said "Thanks Dad."

Gibbs however, had an uneasy sense about it. He didn't feel right giving Tony the drink even though he knew fathers did it all the time. But they weren't dealing with a child, who only three weeks ago had been an adult. Not that Tony seemed to be acknowledging that today. Since yesterday morning, he had slipped back into his ten year old self and had quite forgotten about any former life. But still, it didn't sit right and, if there was one thing Gibbs trusted, it was his gut. And today, his gut was churning.

Checking his watch, Gibbs saw that it was just after four o'clock. Wanting to move Tony away from the basement, he suggested they head upstairs and see what Ziva was doing. Tim, realising that Gibbs was uneasy, followed his lead and, collecting the empty bottles, started up the stairs.

When they reached the kitchen, Tim said, "Well Boss, thanks for the chat. I'd ah, better be going. I'll be seeing you tomorrow then?"

'Yeah," replied Gibbs, distracted. "See you tomorrow."

When Tim had left, Gibbs had wandered upstairs to see where Ziva was. He smiled when, once again, she had put herself to bed and was sleeping peacefully. Taking the opportunity to have a chat to Tony, he headed back downstairs and into the kitchen. Seeing Tony wasn't there, he panicked thinking he'd gone back into the basement, but the sound of a tennis ball being thrown against the wall, had him sighing with relief. Going to the side door, he called Tony in.

"What's up?" Tony asked when Gibbs told him to sit down.

"We need to have a chat," replied Gibbs.

Seeing a flash of apprehension cross Tony's face, Gibbs continued, "Why did you pour yourself some of that bourbon?"

Tony shrugged. "I just wanted to try it," he said. "You drink it."

"Not very often," Gibbs answered. He could actually say that with honesty to the ten year old Tony. In his short existence, this Tony had probably only seen Gibbs have one or two glasses at most, three if you counted the mouthful he'd had ten minutes ago.

"I'm more concerned that you just felt you could help yourself to it. You do realise that was wrong don't you?"

Again, Tony shrugged.

"Was it because Tim was there? Did you want to feel grown up and one of the guys?" Gibbs asked.

Another shrug. Gibbs was starting to recognise the different shrugs Tony used. This particular one was Tony's way of saying "Yes, but I don't really want to admit it."

Gibbs inwardly smiled. Great, now he was an expert on the non verbal communications of the ten year old.

"Well the thing is Tony, alcohol is fine to drink in moderation when you're an adult. Your body is bigger and able to process the alcohol through your system. Alcohol is taken very quickly into our bloodstream, and from there it passes to our organs including our brain. That's why, if someone drinks too much alcohol, their brain is affected. They find it difficult to make decisions or complete certain tasks that require concentration. Now that's when an adult drinks. If a child drinks, those problems are multiplied many times over. A child's body is much smaller so therefore they can't cope with the effects of alcohol and, even just a little bit of alcohol can affect them very quickly and to a much higher degree than an adult. Do you understand what I'm trying to say to you?"

"Yeah," said Tony.

"What am I saying?" Gibbs asked wanting Tony to clarify so he could ascertain how much he was actually taking in.

"You're saying that kids shouldn't drink alcohol because it can make them do stupid stuff." Tony said.

"Yeah, ok. But it's more than that Tony. Now, I might be able to drink three beers quite quickly and, while I couldn't drive, I would still appear to be in control of my body. I might be a little affected but not a huge amount. Now, if you were to drink that much, it could cause something called alcohol poisoning. That's when your body has taken in so much alcohol that it can't process it anymore and it becomes like a poison, damaging the way your body works. It affects all the messages your brain sends to various parts of your body. They get confused. So suddenly, your heart doesn't work very well, your brain isn't doing what it's supposed to, your body can't stay warm, you find it hard to swallow, all those things are caused from too much alcohol."

He looked carefully at Tony. "What I'm trying to say is, when you're a child, drinking alcohol is very dangerous. You may think you're only having a little bit, but your body can't cope with it. You heart can stop, you can fall unconscious and stop breathing, you can choke. Tony, tell me, what does it mean if those things happen?"

"You can die," answered Tony, looking down at his hands.

"Exactly," said Gibbs.

"I only poured a little bit in a glass," Tony said trying to defend his actions.

"Yes, but Tony, bourbon is a very strong alcohol, much stronger than beer. I don't know the exact figures but it's probably 5 or 6 times stronger. So one mouthful of bourbon is like six mouthfuls of beer."

He saw Tony nod his head.

"But that doesn't mean it's ok to drink beer either," added Gibbs. "No alcohol is good for kids. I let you have a little taste today, but I was there with you and knew exactly how much you were having. And those two mouthfuls were your limit."

Gibbs lifted Tony's chin so they were looking eye to eye.

"Tony," said Gibbs making sure he had the boy's full attention. "You are not allowed to drink any alcohol unless I have given it to you. And that, in itself, will be very rare. You already know you aren't allowed in the basement without me, so even touching the bourbon is breaking a rule. But, if I ever find you pouring yourself a glass of alcohol or, worse, drinking any, you will be in major trouble. Alcohol is off limits. Now I want you to be very clear on this, because I'm not kidding you about the amount of trouble you will be in. And the reason I'm being so serious about this, is because of the danger alcohol presents. It can kill you Tony. And I love you way too much to allow you to put yourself in that kind of danger. I can't protect you from what alcohol can do to you. All I can do is trust that you won't go near it until you are an adult. So, tell me, what is the rule about alcohol?"

Tony sighed. "It's not that big a deal Dad. I get it,"

"No Tony, I need to hear you tell me the rule. I have to know that you are very clear on this,"

"Fine," said Tony, "Don't touch any alcohol, don't drink it, don't pour it, don't breathe it in." He rolled off the rules as if he were saying the alphabet.

'This is not funny Tony," said Gibbs seriously. "You may think it's not a big deal, but trust me it is."

"Ok," said Tony quietly. "I'm not allowed to drink any alcohol unless you have given it to me. I'm not allowed to touch it or pour it into a glass. Alcohol is dangerous and it could kill me." Gibbs still felt he was parroting but at least he recognised the dangers.

"Correct," said Gibbs. He waited a bit, then said, "Ok, you can go." He watched as Tony left the room and sighed. He knew the boy understood the rules and the dangers. He just had to trust that Tony was sensible enough to stay away from this new found fascination. If nothing else, he hoped the threat of serious trouble was enough to deter him.

By Sunday afternoon, Gibbs was beginning to feel more relaxed about the alcohol issue. Tony hadn't mentioned it again and, even as people were enjoying a beer or a glass of wine at the barbecue he hadn't seem the least bit interested in wanting to participate. Gibbs had held his breath when Tim had offered Palmer and himself a beer while Tony was sitting with them, but all Tony had asked was if he could get a soda.

The other thing that had Gibbs feeling particularly happy was the fact that Tony and Ziva had almost managed to go a full 48 hours without either one being put in time-out. Considering their track record of the previous week, Gibbs felt this was an event worth celebrating.

The closest call had been this afternoon when both Tony and Ziva thought it would be hilarious to sneak up behind people and scare the living daylights out of them by jumping out and screaming at the top of their lungs. This game however, had come to an abrupt end when the pair of them had decided to jump out on Ducky and Brigette as they were sitting peacefully eating their lunch. Gibbs wasn't sure who had been scared the most when, after jumping out from behind Brigette's chair, the poor woman had screamed louder than Ziva, standing so abruptly her lunch launched into the air like a rocket and landed all over Tony's pants and shoes.

The ensuing chaos saw Tony apologising profusely while he made every effort to refill Brigette's plate by asking her what she would like to eat and, when she couldn't answer, he took the initiative of checking out what was still dripping from his pants as a clue as to what she might like. Added to that was Ducky's extremely annoyed chastising of both children, while trying to avoid Ziva's pointed finger in his face as she frantically tried to inform him that, should he wish to, he could put them in time out but was not allowed to spank them.

Thankfully, once she had recovered from the fright, Brigette saw the funny side of the whole event and reassured Tony and Ziva that no harm had been done, no time-outs would take place and she accepted their apologies along with Tony's offer of a refilled plate. Seeing the terrified looks on Tony and Ziva's faces, Gibbs hadn't even had to say a word to them. The law of natural consequences had managed to achieve what no time-out could have done.

Peace had reigned once again as everyone sat around in the warm afternoon sun, picking at the leftovers and chatting happily with each other. Tony and Ziva were busy checking out the progress that had been made that morning on their tree house so Gibbs stretched back in his chair and closed his eyes, enjoying the tranquility.

Feeling a shadow cross his face, he opened his eyes to see Jenny standing there. He smiled as the late afternoon sun highlighted the lighter tips in her red hair. He had always loved her hair. Well, it was red wasn't it? He was pleased to see it beginning to grow again. He hadn't liked it when she'd had it cut short, not that he'd said anything of course. But the extra length brought a softness to her face, something that he had missed dearly over the last seven years. Still, dwelling on the past wasn't going to change things. Jenny had made her choice seven years ago, a choice that didn't include him. Although, the last three weeks had seen a return to some of those familiar looks, little touches here and there. He had found himself extremely grateful for her support and, having listened to her discussion with Ziva yesterday, had wondered where she saw herself in their lives. However, it would be up to her to make that first move. Not through any sense of hurtful pride, but simply because he knew where he stood. In seven years, his feelings for Jennifer Shepherd hadn't changed at all, that had been obvious the minute he saw her in MTAC when Morrow had informed him she was the new Director. But it had been her who had stepped back from him and so, it would have to be her who chose to step forward again. Until then, he was happy to accept their friendship for what it was, and he was certainly happy to accept her support and assistance with Tony and Ziva.

"Penny for them," she said softly as she sat next to him, pulling him from his musings.

"Ahh, not worth a penny Jen," he replied, smiling at her.

"So, how are you going?" she asked. "I could see things were taking their toll on Friday night. Has everything settled down a bit since then?"

"Yeah, a little," he said. "This week has been pretty hard on Tony. He's had a lot to deal with, trying to figure out what's happening to him, trying to remember things. It was interesting the other day. He was watching old news footage of things that have taken place during his lifetime to see how well he could remember them. They were pretty fuzzy, but what amazed me was Ziva. While she didn't remember the actual events, she could sprout the day, the year and the details of what had happened. The Challenger for example, she said without even thinking that it took place on January 28th 1986, that it exploded and that seven people including a civilian were killed. It was incredible. She did the same for other things as well."

"You're forgetting her memory Jethro," Jenny said simply.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"Well think back to when she first starting working for you, after Ari. What was one of the things that struck you?"

"Of course," he said, annoyed that he could have forgotten. "She had a photographic memory."

"Has," replied Jenny. "It's still there. Even though she can't explain it, her brain has it all stored in there, dates, times, all the details. Everything. Seeing a picture would trigger the information about the event, while not necessary bringing back the memory of it happening."

Gibbs wondered what kind of impact that would have on her. Suddenly her brain was storing a whole new set of information around what happened when she was five. Thank goodness she was so accepting of her knowledge he thought remembering how she had laughed and called herself 'magic' when she remember Tali. Thank goodness he hadn't pressed her for information about Ari. That could have sent her brain into a total melt down.

"I see Tony has started to feel 'safe'." Jenny's voice penetrated his thoughts.

"Huh?" he began. "Oh yeah, real safe!" he laughed.

"It's a good sign, remember that," Jenny reminded him.

"Tryin Jen," he said. "I remind myself every day when I'm counting down those ten minutes on the timer."

She laughed.

"Listen Jethro," she began. "I was thinking the other day. Maybe you could do with a little break from them both. I'd be more than happy to take them for a weekend. It's a bit hard through the week because of work, but I could maybe wrangle a Friday or a Monday?" She looked at him gauging a response.

"Thanks Jen, that's kind of you to offer but…," he started, but was interrupted when Tony suddenly leapt out from behind him and began running towards the tree house.

"Careful Tony," he called out. "You might run into something!"

Tony didn't even respond but continued running. He must be chasing Ziva, Gibbs thought to himself. Turning back to Jenny he continued, "But, I couldn't send Tony away. That's his greatest fear. He wouldn't understand what was happening and would just assume I was giving up on him like his father. However," Gibbs paused, suddenly realising something. "If you're serious about having them, it would be great if you could take Ziva for a weekend. Tony's been feeling a little out of things with Tim and is trying desperately to be 'one of the boys' so to speak. If you could take Ziva, that could give me a chance to spend some quality time with Tony, maybe have Tim and Palmer around and we could work on the tree house. A bit of 'male bonding' as you girls like to call it." He laughed.

"Yeah, that's sounds like a good idea. Abby, Ziva and I could have some 'girlie' time as well. We could…"

Her words were cut off by a loud kerfuffle coming from the direction of the tree house. Standing up, she and Gibbs headed in that direction to find Tony trying to pull off the planks of wood he, Tim and Gibbs had worked hard to put together that morning.

"Hey! Tony!" shouted Gibbs, breaking into a jog to get to the tree house. "What are you doing?"

Tony was completely out of control. He was yanking at the wood, kicking the tree, screaming something that Gibbs couldn't understand. Tim was trying to grab his hand, to pull him away from the tree house, but Tony was completely ignoring him.

As he reached the screaming boy, Gibbs took hold of his arms to try and stop him from hurting himself. However, all this did was infuriate Tony more. He started to struggle and kick, screaming for Gibbs to let him go and leave him alone. Knowing that he needed to remove Tony from this scene, he wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and lifted him off the ground to take him inside. Still kicking furiously, Tony managed to catch Gibbs on the shin. The man cursed, it had hurt.

"Tony!" he said firmly. "What is going on? Why are you behaving like this?"

Still struggling, Tony refused to answer.

Putting him down on his feet, Gibbs grabbed Tony's arms and shook him slightly.

"Stop this!" he said forcibly. "You need to calm down and tell me what's wrong."

Finally Tony spoke, but it wasn't what Gibbs was hoping to hear.

"I don't have to do anything for you! You and your stupid rules! Telling me that you love me! I hate you! I hate everything about you!" and biting down hard on Gibbs arm, Tony managed to free himself and ran, sobbing, into the house.

Everyone stood there, stunned at what had just transpired. Gibbs, still too shocked to speak, just looked at everyone, praying someone would say something that would explain this completely bizarre behaviour.

Finally, finding his voice he asked, "What happened?"

No one spoke.

"Where was Tony right before this happened. The last I saw, he was tearing past me and over towards the tree house," Gibbs said.

"I don't think he wanted to stay at Jenny's house," said Ziva. "I don't know why though, I think it would be fun," she added.

"Ziva," said Gibbs, crouching down to her level. "What do you mean, 'stay at Jenny's house'?"

"We were hiding in the bushes behind your chairs when you and Jenny were talking," explained Ziva. "We were going to scare you. Then when Jenny said we could stay with her for a bit, he just ran off."

"Damn!" exclaimed Jethro and without saying anything more, he suddenly took off into the house.

Having seen the look on Gibb's face, the sudden paling of his skin, the others followed him, scared for what may have happened. As they entered the kitchen, they could hear Gibbs calling for Tony. They heard him run up the stairs, check each room, then return again to the kitchen.

"What's wrong Jethro," asked Ducky, afraid of the look on Gibbs' face.

"We have to find him," said Gibbs' desperately. "The one thing Tony fears most is that I will send him away like his father did. What he overhead wasn't what we were talking about, but in his head, he thinks I've had enough, that I can't deal with him anymore." He spun around on the spot, hand to his face, wondering where on earth Tony could have gone. The basement!

Slamming on the light, he took the stairs two at a time. Reaching the bottom, he scanned the room, checking under workbenches, behind shelves, delving into every corner he could see. Then he spotted it. The empty space on the shelf where he kept the bourbon.

"Shit!" He cursed again. "Why didn't I move it?" he berated himself.

"Move what Boss?" asked Tim.

Looking up the stairs, Gibbs could see Tim and Jenny had started to descend. He headed up, pushing past them and arrived back in the kitchen. He grabbed Ducky's arm.

"He's taken the bourbon Duck," he said frantically. "He had this fascination for it, and we had a huge discussion about it. He knew the dangers, but he also knew it was the one thing I was so adamant he didn't touch. In his ten year old mind, this is payback. We've got to find him. There was about one third left in the bottle. Is that enough to really do some damage Duck?" Gibbs was desperate. He needed to be reassured.

"Well it wouldn't do him much good," replied Ducky, not really wanting to be too blunt. He knew a third of the bottle could do some serious damage but it all depended on how Tony's body processed it.

"What does he weigh, around 65 to 70lbs?" Ducky asked trying to remain optimistic. "Well, if we can find him quickly, get him rehydrated, and depending on how much he's managed to consume, I…." Ducky was very reluctant to make assumptions.

"Ok," said Gibbs, cutting him off. "He's not in the house, I've checked. Let's split up and take the yard. He can't have gone far." And with that, Gibbs took off out the front door followed by Tim and Ducky, while Jenny, Jimmy, Brigette and Abby went out the back again.

After a couple of minutes, Ducky called, "Jethro, I've found him. He's in your car!"

As Gibbs ran towards the drive, he could see Ducky pulling Tony's limp body from the back seat and laying him on the grass.

"Mr Palmer, quickly, grab my bag and bring your glucometer," ordered Ducky as Jimmy came running around from the back.

Disappearing again, it wasn't long before Jimmy returned with the necessary items. In the meantime, Ducky had managed to make a quick assessment. To Gibbs relief, Tony wasn't unconscious as he first thought. Ducky had put Tony on his side in a half sitting position. Taking the glucometer he checked Tony's BSL. It was 3.2.

It's low," said Ducky, "but not dangerously low. That's one of the worries with children who have accidentally consumed alcohol. Their blood sugar can drop so low they can go into a coma. We're ok here though," he reassured Gibbs.

He quickly took Tony's blood pressure and pulse.

"I've found the bottle!" called Tim who had been searching the car. He brought it over. It wasn't empty.

"Well that's a good sign Jethro," said Ducky. "You said there was about a third of the bottle left?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Well, I'd estimate he's drunk about 150mls and probably about fifteen minutes ago. So far his vital signs are ok. But we need to monitor him closely over the next twelve hours. I would normally recommend taking him to emergency, but considering the situation with their identities, we don't want to alert any authorities particularly when a child has drunk alcohol."

He stood up. "Help me get him into the house, Jethro," Ducky said, bending down to grab his bag.

Gibbs picked up Tony and took him into the living room. Laying him on the couch, Ducky said, "Don't lay him down. Try to keep him upright as best you can."

He opened his bag and took out a bag of saline. "Now," he explained. "I'm going to set up an I.V. so that we can hydrate Tony as quickly as possible. I'm going to need one of you to hold it up so that it flows into him correctly."

"Yep, I'll do that," said Tim.

Ducky worked quickly to insert the needle. Tony, while not unconscious, wasn't very responsive and Ducky was able to insert the cannula with the minimum of fuss. Once attached to the saline, Tim was then responsible to keep the bag raised above Tony's head.

Ducky then turned to Jimmy and said, "Mr Palmer, would you be so kind as to go to the office and bring back three more bags of saline please?"

"Yes Doctor," replied Jimmy. "I'll leave the glucometer here so you can check his levels again. I'll be back as soon as I can." And with that, Jimmy hurried out the door.

With the makeshift saline drip inserted and working, Ducky looked at Gibbs and said, "Well I think we've been lucky Jethro. He doesn't appear to have drunk as much as we thought and we were able to get to him quickly. Added to that, he would have had a full stomach of food. I anticipate a great deal of vomiting over the next couple of hours," he said with a wry grin. "And I think our young man here might be in for a humdinger of a headache. The most important thing now, is to keep him awake and upright. Ahh Jennifer," he said, turning to Jenny, "You may want to get a bucket. I think our young Mr DiNozzo, is about to relieve his stomach of its contents."

Once they could see that the danger was over, Abby and Tim decided to go home. They didn't wish to get in the way, and knew that Gibbs needed some time to process what had happened. Tim quickly scanned the room and, noticing the coat stand in the entry, dragged it over to hang the bag of saline on so it remained high enough for gravity to continue working. Then, after offering to give Brigette a ride home, the three of them left making Gibbs promise to give them a call should he need anything or should Tony's condition change for the worse.

Jimmy soon returned with the extra saline bags, and having checked Tony's BLS again and noting that it hadn't decreased any, Ducky sent him home with the glucometer and a 'Thank you' for all his help.

Seeing the fear and worry in Ziva's eyes, Jenny felt that it might be better if she took the little girl out for a while to distract her from everything that was happening. When Gibbs agreed, he called Ziva over to him.

"Hey Sweat Pea," he said, picking her up and rubbing her back. "This is all a bit scary isn't it?"

She nodded, then said, "Is Tony going to be ok?"

"Yes, pumpkin," Gibbs reassured. "He's going to be fine. He's just going to be a bit sick for a while and it's probably best that you go with Jenny and do something fun. You don't really want to watch Tony throw up everywhere do you?"

"Yuck!" she said,

"Exactly!" said Gibbs smiling at her. "I bet Jenny has some pretty special things planned for you to do."

"I certainly do," said Jenny coming forward and rubbing Ziva's arm. "I thought we might go and see a movie! How does that sound?"

"Yay!" said Ziva. "What will we see?"

"I don't know Honey. We'll have to see what's showing." Jenny reached for Ziva and, lifting her out of Gibbs' arms, placed her on her hip.

"Daddy," said Ziva, looking up at Gibbs. "Is Tony in big trouble?" She looked a little apprehensive, wondering just what Tony's fate might be.

"At the moment Sweat Pea, I just want Tony to get better," said Gibbs, running his hand over her head. "I'll worry about that when he's feeling better. But it's not something you have to worry about, OK?"

"OK," she said. "But I don't like it when Tony's in trouble."

"I know," said Gibbs. "That's because you love him. But sometimes, even though we love someone, we have to do what is best for them even if it's not something they're going to like. It's a bit like when Tony had to come and get me when you were in the tree. He did that because he loved you and was worried about you, even though he knew it might get you into trouble."

She nodded her head. "I did get into trouble," she said quietly. "Daddy, you won't hit Tony with a stick will you?" she asked fearfully. "Abba does that to Ari and it scares me. Ari is very brave but sometimes he bleeds. I don't want that to happen to Tony."

"Ziva I would never, ever, do that to either of you," he said firmly. "I don't even know if I will spank Tony just yet, but, if I do, I will only use my hand. Remember my promise to both of you?"

"I remember," she said. "I just sometimes get scared and forget. But Daddy, if you do have to spank Tony, make sure you hug him afterwards like you did me. That made me feel so much better. Oh and Daddy?" She leaned in close as if sharing a confidence and whispered, "You've got to let him rub his bottom afterwards. It takes the sting away. OK?"

"Ok," said Gibbs smirking at her. "I'll remember that. Now you two go and have some fun and I'll see you later."

He kissed her goodbye on the cheek and then, without thinking, turned to Jenny and gave her a quick peck on the lips as well. It had been a instinctive reaction, neither one of them had even realised what they were doing.

Blushing, Jenny quickly said, "Bye Jethro, I'll ring before I bring her back."

"Yeah, thanks Jen," replied Gibbs, not making eye contact and leading them to the door. Once they left, he shut the door and returned to Ducky and Tony.

He looked at the M.E. who was smirking knowingly to himself.

"What?" asked Gibbs, annoyed at the grin.

"Nothing Jethro," replied Ducky, busying himself replacing Tony's saline bag.

Sitting down next to Tony on the couch, the young boy leaned into his side and said, "I feel awful."

"Yeah, I bet ya do!" replied Gibbs. "I don't know how much you can understand right now, but you need to know that I would never send you away. Jenny offered to have you for a short holiday and, as it turns out, I said that she could take Ziva and that you, me and Tim could have a boy's weekend. But you didn't hear that bit did you?"

He felt Tony shake his head.

"Yeah, well, we'll talk more about this later," said Gibbs, brushing the hair away from Tony's forehead. "Right now, all you need to do is get better. You're in for a rough ride Buddy, but I'll be here with you. I love you Tony and, no matter what you do or say, that will never change."

Tony's response was to quickly pull away and, grabbing the bucket, heave violently into it.

Gibbs looked at his son as Tony wiped his mouth and sat back, exhaustion plaguing his face. The boy was almost asleep, only kept awake by Ducky prodding him occasionally to maintain consciousness.

"Well Tony," said Gibbs quietly to himself. "I knew you would start testing me, but I certainly didn't think you would take it to this level." He stroked Tony's head as the boy slumped back, glassy eyes staring ahead. "I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do next, but for now, I am just thankful that you are still here with me. I don't know what I'd do if something ever happened to you."

As Gibbs put his arm around his son, he sent up a quiet prayer to the powers that be, thanking them for watching over his boy.


	21. Choices and Decisions

**AN - This chapter contains the spanking of a minor - don't like, don't read.**

**When writing this chapter I had to think WWGD (What Would Gibbs Do) and I think this is how he would have handled this. Added to that, Tony was a child of the seventies and despite his bad experiences with Senior, I think he is secure enough in Gibbs' love that he would have chosen the spanking. As he says, 'to get it over and done with'. Lastly, it's important to note to that neither Tony nor Ziva see Gibbs as a boss anymore. He is now well and truly their Dad. And, when they are older again, it will be no different than me with my Dad. The whole dynamics of their relationship will be completely different. Gibbs will continue to see them as his kids, now grown, and Tony and Ziva will just feel like they work for their Dad. **

**Anyway, that said, I hope you like the chapter.**

Chapter 21 - Choices and Decisions

It was 11.30pm when Jenny pushed her way through the front door carrying a sleeping Ziva. She had seriously considered letting the little girl stay at her house over night but, knowing how concerned Jethro was about Tony, she felt it was best to bring her home. He could become quite possessive when it came to where his kids were when one was sick. This had been confirmed when she'd called at eleven to see how things were. Jethro had sounded quite relieved to hear they were on their way.

Stepping into the entry she was met by Gibbs who gently removed Ziva from her arms.

"I'll just take her up to bed," he said quietly. "Can you watch Tony? He's sleeping. Ducky says it's ok. I'll fill you in when I come down."

He turned to head upstairs and Jenny tip-toed into the living room. Tony was now lying on the couch. She was surprised by how peaceful he looked. His colour was good and the drip had been removed. She noticed Ducky wasn't there and assumed he had gone home.

Going into the kitchen she poured two cups of coffee, knowing Gibbs would have one regardless of when his last was. She was pleased to see that the situation was definitely calmer. Even Jethro had looked calmer when he'd taken Ziva from her. She hoped the worst was over.

"Hey Jen. Did she behave herself?" Jenny turned to see Gibbs enter the kitchen. He took the offered coffee and sat at the table, facing the living room so he could keep an eye on Tony.

"Good as gold," Jenny replied, taking the seat adjacent. "She was still very concerned about Tony but I think she understands that he did a very silly thing. She fell asleep in the movie theatre so I just brought her back to my place for a couple of hours until I thought things would be more settled here. So," she paused to take a drink from the steaming mug. "How is Tony? He looks remarkably well considering."

"Yeah, Duck says he's very lucky," said Gibbs, looking over at his sleeping son. "Because we were able to hydrate him so quickly, along with the food in his stomach, he's managed to come out of this very quickly. He'll still have a hell of a headache when he wakes but the vomiting seems to have stopped. Ducky took the I.V. out about," he looked at his watch for confirmation, "ninety minutes ago and then he left around eleven. Said it was ok for Tony to sleep, his vitals were all normal. I just need to keep a close eye on him over the next few hours."

He looked back at Jenny. "I was so scared Jen. I thought I was going to lose him. And all because he overhead something that he misunderstood." He rubbed his hand over his face. "Geez Jen, he could've killed himself."

"Yes, but he didn't," she replied. "What he did was incredibly stupid, but nothing serious happened and hopefully he will learn from this." She paused to take another sip, then asked, "Why did he go for the bourbon in the first place?" She was genuinely curious, thinking it was a odd thing for Tony to do.

"He's been asking about alcohol lately. Tim came around yesterday and we were drinking beer down in the basement and Tony wanted one. When I said no, he then thought he'd pour himself a bourbon. He just wanted to be one of the guys, not sure if it was anything to do with his former adult life, or just a curious ten year old fascination. Anyway, we had a big talk on it and I told him that it was strictly a no go zone and made him promise not to touch the stuff or go near it. I guess when he thought I was going to send him away he tried to think of a way to hurt me because he felt betrayed. He tried to tear down the tree house but when that didn't work, his next step was to drink the bourbon. He knew it was something I had strictly forbidden. So flouting the rules was his way of saying 'stuff you' I guess."

"So he knew it was wrong?" asked Jenny.

"Hell yeah!" replied Gibbs. "I seriously don't think he'd thought it through though. Probably didn't think it would really harm him and, thank God, it hasn't." He silently drank his coffee. Then, putting the mug down, he placed his head in his hands.

"Ugh Jen, I don't know what to do now. I'm so relieved that he's going to be ok, but I'm so angry that he chose to do something so stupid. I'm torn between hugging him and strangling him."

"You said he knew it was wrong?" she asked again.

"Oh yeah, I was very clear on that front. I think my wording was he would be in _major _trouble." Gibbs replied.

"Well, then he's going to expect punishment and as silly as it sounds, you need to follow through, just as you had to with Ziva. If you let this go, it's just going to move that boundary line and he won't know where he stands."

"Yeah, but Jen," argued Gibbs, "This isn't a little girl climbing a tree and refusing to come down. It's a little more serious than that. He could have killed himself!"

"I know, but what I'm saying is, just as Ziva needed you to follow through on the rules, so does Tony." She paused to look at the sleeping boy. "You need to show him that you care enough not to let him do this again."

"I don't want to come down too hard on him though. It's been tough enough." Gibbs said.

"Well, think about what your father would have done?" Jenny asked.

Gibbs let out a short laugh and raised his eyebrows saying, "I don't need to think about it, I know exactly what my father would have done because he did it."

Jenny looked at him curiously. "What? Did you do what Tony did?" she asked.

"Yup!" he replied. "I was a little older than Tony, I was fourteen and it was my Dad's best scotch. Haven't been able to touch the stuff since."

"So what happened?" Jenny asked.

"It wasn't long after my Mom had passed away. I was angry and acting out so I decided one night I'd finish off a bottle of scotch. Never felt so sick in my life. And to top it off, once I'd sobered up enough, my Dad took to me with his belt. Don't know which end hurt more, my backside or my head." He laughed at the memory.

"I'm not doing that to Tony though Jen. I made a promise to both those kids that I'd only ever use my hand if I had to spank them. They've both suffered enough from father's who wielded belts or sticks."

Jenny nodded in understanding. "Different time Jethro. My Father used a belt too. We never saw it as abuse because it wasn't done in that way."

"I don't know if I can spank him Jen," Gibbs said looking at her earnestly. "It was hard enough with Ziva and that was just one swat. If I decide to spank him, it's gonna have to be a proper spanking, not just a single smack. What he did was incredibly stupid and dangerous."

"When you drank your Dad's scotch, did you expect the hiding you got?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah I guess," replied Gibbs.

"Well, so will Tony. He knew what you meant when you said he would be in serious trouble. He knows the consequences of putting himself in danger. He's not going to hate you for it."

Gibbs sat in silence, letting her words sink in. He knew what she was saying made sense, he just didn't know if it was the best action to take. Maybe he could give Tony a choice? Offer him a different punishment, one that wasn't physical. That would give Tony the chance to opt out should he feel the spanking would bring up too many bad memories.

He shared his thoughts with Jenny.

"That's a great idea Jethro," she said. "It does give him the opportunity to choose an alternative. What would you suggest, grounding?"

"Yeah, it would make the most sense. No TV, games etc for a few days," suggested Gibbs.

"I bet he takes the spanking," laughed Jenny. "I know I would. Get it over and done with."

"Yeah, me too," agreed Gibbs. "But this gives him a choice at least. It's funny, as a child, I'd take the spanking too, but as a parent, I hope he chooses the grounding. Listening to Ziva cry after that one swat was heart breaking. Don't know if I can do that again."

"Yes, you can," reassured Jenny. "If you think it will stop him from ever putting himself in the same situation, you'll be able to do it. Just remember, it worked for you with the scotch."

"Well to be honest," said Gibbs smiling. "I think the headache and the vomiting spoke louder than the belt."

Standing and collecting the now empty mugs, Jenny said, "It's nearly 1am. Why don't you take Tony up to bed with you and I'll spend the night on the couch. That way I'm here if there's any problem through the night."

"Thanks Jen, but take the spare bed in Tony's room. It will be much more comfortable." Gibbs told her.

Agreeing that he was right, she watched as Gibbs lifted Tony carefully and followed him up the stairs. After Gibbs had grabbed some pyjamas from Tony's room, she said goodnight and watched him head back to his own room. Crawling into the spare bed, she was asleep in minutes.

In his own room, Gibbs laid Tony on his bed and managed to change the boy into the pyjamas without waking him. He gently put him under the covers and, after changing into his own pyjamas, he climbed in next to the sleeping child. Running his hand over Tony's head, he watched as he breathed in and out and appreciated each glorious breath.

"Good night Tony," he said kissing him on the forehead. "Sleep well Buddy. You're in for a tough day tomorrow." Rolling over, Gibbs fell into a fitful sleep, worrying about what the new day would bring and just how he was going to deal with his son.

Gibbs was awoken at 6.15am when Ziva crawled into bed with him. Turning over, he put his fingers to his lips to keep her quiet then whispered, "Are you going back to sleep or getting up?"

"Getting up Daddy," she whispered. "I just wanted to see how Tony was but he wasn't in his room. How come Jenny's in there?" she asked.

"She stayed last night in case Daddy needed some help," Gibbs responded pulling back the covers and getting up. Tony had managed to sleep through most of the night only waking twice to go to the bathroom. Gibbs figured it was all that saline working its way through. However, he wanted him to sleep for as long as possible. Gibbs had given him some children's paracetamol at 3.45am when he'd complained of a headache and he hoped that would give him a good four or five hours of sleep.

As he and Ziva entered the hall, Gibbs pulled the door closed behind him and was just about to head downstairs when he saw Jenny open Tony's door.

"Morning," he said. "Sorry didn't mean to wake you."

"No you didn't," she replied sleepily. "That would have been Ziva, tapping me on the head and asking why I was in the wrong bed." She smiled at Ziva.

"Sorry Jenny, I thought you were Tony," she said guiltily.

"Ziva!" admonished Gibbs.

"Don't worry," said Jenny. "I've got to be up anyway. I need to go home and have a shower. I thought I might go into work early as I've got a couple of things that need doing. Then, if you need me, I'll be around this afternoon.

"Yeah, thanks," he said. As Ziva continued on down the stairs ahead of them he stopped and said. "If Tony decides to take the spanking, I'd really rather she wasn't here."

"Yes, I agree," Jenny said. "One of the attendants at the movie theatre last night, gave me a couple of rain checks for the movie seeing as Ziva fell asleep about twenty minutes in, so we could go and see that today.

As they made their way into the kitchen, Ziva was already pouring cereal into her bowl. Gibbs went to the fridge and took out the milk placing it on the table.

"Thanks Daddy," she said, picking it up and pouring it on her cereal.

Gibbs put some bread in the toaster while Jenny filled the coffee machine and turned it on.

"Is Tony ok Daddy?" asked Ziva as she chewed her cereal.

"Yes, he's just very sleepy. I gave him some medicine earlier when he woke up to help him sleep." Gibbs sat at the table next to her. "He probably won't wake up for a while, but he will be fine. He just may have a bad headache."

"Did you spank him?" she asked.

"No Sweat Pea. Tony was too sick last night to even talk to him very much. I'm going to have a chat to him when he wakes up."

He could see she was still very worried about Tony.

"Ziva," he said, getting her attention. "Tony did a very silly thing yesterday. Drinking that alcohol could have made him very sick, sick enough to have to go to hospital. Now he knew that was wrong. Daddy and Tony had talked about how dangerous it was on Saturday and I had told him he would be in big trouble if he broke that rule. He put himself in serious danger, plus he deliberately disobeyed me and he went into the basement without an adult."

Ziva's eyes grew wide. "Whoa, I'm glad I'm not Tony. That's a lot of rules to break."

"That's right Honey," said Gibbs. "So as much as I don't want to punish Tony, it's something I'm going to have to do. Tony knew he was very naughty yesterday, he knows he's in big trouble, just like you knew when you were hiding in the tree."

She nodded her head and took another mouthful of cereal. Swallowing, she said softly, "Poor Tony."

Smiling at Ziva, Gibbs stood when he heard the toast pop. Handing two pieces to Jenny, he took the other two and sat down to butter them. Jenny placed a mug of hot coffee in front of him, and together, the three of them ate their breakfast in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Just after nine, when Gibbs was putting some washing away in Ziva's room, he heard Tony stirring. Going into his room, he saw Tony sitting up in bed and looking around. He appeared to be a little lost.

"You slept with me last night, remember?" he said, going over to Tony and sitting on the bed.

"Yeah," said Tony. "I remember." He looked at Gibbs then said, "I need to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute."

Gibbs watched him go. He was amazed at how well Tony looked. The paracetamol seemed to have done its job. Although still a little sleepy, Tony appeared to be his normal self.

When Tony returned to the room, he stood in front of Gibbs and said, "So I guess I'm in a lot of trouble?"

Gibbs looked at him. "Well, what do you think?"

Tony just nodded his head.

"Come and sit on the bed Tony, we need to talk." Tony climbed up and sat with this legs crossed, facing Gibbs. His hands were folded into his lap and his head was bowed.

"Tony, I need to know why you decided to drink the bourbon yesterday," began Gibbs.

"I don't know," said Tony. "I just did."

"No, think about it. First you tried to destroy the tree house. Then, when I stopped you from doing that, you ran into the house and straight to the bourbon. Why?"

"I was mad," said Tony quietly.

"About what?" asked Gibbs.

"I heard you and Jenny talking about me going to stay with her and I thought you were sick of me," he said, still not looking up. "I didn't hear the other bit you told me about. I just thought you were going to send me away after all the promises you made."

"So you were angry at me?" Gibbs asked.

Tony nodded.

"That's ok," said Gibbs and Tony looked up in surprise. "It's ok to be angry with each other. We're all going to do things that are annoying. But what should you have done yesterday?" he asked.

"Talked to you about it?" Tony replied.

"Yeah," said Gibbs. "Then I could have explained what we were really talking about and what my answer to Jenny was."

Gibbs lifted Tony's chin. "What were you thinking about when you went down into the basement to get the bourbon? What was your reason for going down there? I know that might seem like an odd question but it's important that I know,"

"I wanted to make you angry. I wanted to break the rules and make you mad because you had made me mad." Tony replied.

"You wanted to hurt me?" confirmed Gibbs.

Tony nodded. "I'm sorry. It was a really dumb thing to do."

"Yeah it was," said Gibbs. "So when you grabbed the bottle, you knew what you were doing?"

Again Tony nodded.

"Why did you go to the car?" Gibbs asked.

"I didn't want you to stop me. But then I remembered what you said and I didn't drink it all. I just wanted to make you sorry for wanting to send me away. I didn't want to get really sick." He looked at Gibbs. "I guess that part didn't work," he added.

"Well actually it did," replied Gibbs. "You were very lucky Tony. If you had drunk all the bourbon we would have had to rush you to hospital, they may have needed to pump your stomach. Making that decision to not drink all the bourbon probably saved your life."

Tony sat in silence thinking about Gibbs words.

Gibbs spoke, "So you knew what you were doing was wrong? You went to the car because you knew I would stop you?"

Tony nodded.

It's important I know that Tony," said Gibbs, "I need to know that, even though you were angry and hurt, you made a conscious decision to choose to do something you knew was wrong. Believe it or not, that's makes a difference."

Tony continued to sit in silence. After a minute he looked up and said, "So, are you going to spank me?"

"Well that's actually going to be up to you Tony," Gibbs replied. Tony looked confused. "But," Gibbs continued, "Before we talk about your punishment I want you to tell me all the rules you broke yesterday during this little adventure."

Tony sighed.

"I drank when you told me not too." Tony began.

"So what rule was that," asked Gibbs.

Tony thought. "I disobeyed you."

"You _deliberately_ disobeyed me," corrected Gibbs. "That's why I wanted to know if you knew what you were doing. Sometimes we do things without thinking, but yesterday you deliberately drank that alcohol because you knew it was against the rules. You were thinking enough to know to go to the car and hide, as well as making the decision to stop before drinking it all. Ok, so what else?"

"I guess I put myself in danger,"

"Oh most definitely!" replied Gibbs. "Big time danger! What else?"

Tony thought hard. He couldn't think of anything else.

"Where did you get the bourbon?" Gibbs prompted.

"Oh, I went into the basement without you being there," he said.

"Right," agreed Gibbs. "So, that's three rules. One, you deliberately disobeyed me; two, you put yourself in serious danger and three, you went into the basement without an adult with you."

Tony took a deep breath. "I'm in big trouble hey?" he asked.

"Oh yeah!" replied Gibbs. "You managed to hit the big three. Thank goodness you stayed in the yard yesterday or you'd have really hit the jackpot!"

Tony gave a feeble smile. "I was a quarter good then?"

"Tony, you're one hundred percent good. You just made some pretty silly decisions yesterday."

Tony nodded.

"Your Dad used to spank you when you did something wrong didn't he?" asked Gibbs.

"Yeah," said Tony. "He usually used his belt or he had this strap thing that his Dad used to use. That was worse."

"Well, that's why I want to give you a choice Tony," said Gibbs. "What you did yesterday was very serious and yes, it does deserve a spanking. But I know that you've got some pretty scary memories around spankings. They were harsh and frightening and I don't want to bring those memories back for you. So, here's the deal. You have two choices, a spanking or you can be grounded. Now if you choose a spanking, I'm not gonna lie to you, it will hurt. However, I will only use my hand and it will be over your pyjamas. Because you are ten, you will receive ten swats. They will be hard and they will probably leave a mark. But once it's done, it's over. OK?" He waited until Tony had nodded to show he understood.

"Right, the other option is to be grounded. You will be grounded until Thursday morning. That means that there will be no television, no games, no computer. Basically you will eat, sleep and stay in this house for three days. But again, once Thursday morning arrives, it's over. Now, I don't want you to tell me your decision just yet. I'm going to come back at," he looked at his watch, "one o'clock and you can tell me then what you've decided. That's in three and a half hours. I want you to use this time to think about what you did and how your actions have affected all of us. Not just you Tony, but me, Ziva, Jenny, Tim, all of us. We all love you a great deal and you gave all of us a huge scare yesterday."

Again Tony nodded his understanding.

"Ok, I'd like you to go back to your room and hop into bed. I'll go and get you some breakfast and after you've eaten that, it probably won't hurt to try and sleep a bit longer. How's your head feeling?"

"It's pretty good. It only hurts a little bit," Tony replied.

"Ok. Well if it gets any worse, let me know. Hopefully you're over the worst of it."

As Gibbs stood, Tony hopped of the bed and threw his arms around Gibbs. "I'm so sorry Dad. I'll never do anything like that again."

Gibbs hugged him back saying, "I know Tony. It was pretty scary wasn't it?"

"Yep," said Tony. "I didn't realise it would make me so sick."

"Come on then," said Gibbs, rubbing Tony's back. "Let's get you back into your own bed and I'll go and get you some breakfast. I think we might just make it some toast, I don't think milk is probably the best thing for you with all that vomiting last night."

Tony nodded and headed into his own room. Watching him go, Gibbs didn't envy him his decision. But, he had brought this on himself and, now knowing Tony knew exactly what he was doing yesterday, Gibbs felt more inclined to make sure he never did it again.

At half past twelve, Jenny arrived to take Ziva. After Gibbs had rung her, she thought it would be best to take the little girl out for the afternoon regardless of Tony's decision. It would be a break for Gibbs and it would give her a chance to use the movie tickets.

Ziva had been very quiet when Jenny arrived. Gibbs had explained to her about Tony's choices and, although she understood, she was still uneasy about the whole thing. Having been a witness to many of Ari's beatings, Gibbs assumed those kinds of memories didn't just disappear. He didn't wish to upset her further but he also wanted to reassure her Tony would be fine.

After Jenny had strapped Ziva into the car, Gibbs had said quietly, "Bring her back as soon as the movie's over? She needs to see that Tony is ok regardless of his choice. I think she knows as well as we do that he'll probably choose the spanking, so it's important that she sees he's fine afterwards."

"We won't be long," replied Jenny, smiling at Gibbs. "Good luck."

"Thanks," he said. "Hey you might want to replenish that bourbon, I might need it tonight." He laughed.

"You'll be fine Jethro," she said. "See you in a couple of hours."

He watched them leave then headed back into the house. Going into the kitchen, he made Tony a quick sandwich and headed up to the boy's room. Opening the door, he saw Tony was awake and reading a book.

"Hey Bud, thought you might like something to eat." Gibbs said, handing Tony the plate and sitting on the bed.

"Thanks Dad," said Tony. He put the plate on his bedside table.

"Not hungry?" asked Gibbs.

Tony shook his head. He was biting his lower lip. Gibbs figured he was probably pretty nervous.

"I've made my decision," he said looking up apprehensively. "I'll take the spanking. I'd rather get it over and done with."

"Yeah, I thought you might," replied Gibbs. "You have to be sure though Tony, because there's no going back once the decision is made."

"I'm sure," replied Tony.

"Ok," sighed Gibbs. "Let's get it over with then."

He stood up to let Tony get out of bed. Sitting back down, he drew Tony close to him and said gently. "Tony, you know I love you don't you?"

Tony nodded.

"I'm only doing this because I don't ever want you to put yourself in that situation again," he continued.

"Just do it Dad, please," begged Tony.

Taking a deep breath, Gibbs pulled Tony to his right side and placed the boy over his knee. Supporting him with his left arm tucked around his waist, he lifted his right and brought it down hard on the lower part of Tony's bottom. He heard Tony's intake of breath as the first spank landed. By the third swat, Tony, already crying, reached around desperately to cover his pyjama clad backside. Gibbs gently took the boy's hand and held it on his back. By the sixth swat Tony was openly sobbing and trying to wriggle away. Gibbs held him firmly as he applied the last four swats. They were hard, and Gibbs knew that Tony would definitely be feeling this for a while, but he prayed that if it stopped Tony ever doing something so stupid again, then a sore backside for a few of hours would be worth it.

After the tenth swat, he gently lifted a sobbing Tony up off his lap but before he could draw him into a hug, Tony leapt back and started rubbing his bottom furiously. As he watched Tony dancing around, sobbing and rubbing, he was reminded of Ziva's words. He smiled to himself. He hoped the rubbing was helping. After a few seconds of dancing, Tony threw himself into Gibbs arms, "I'm so sorry Daddy, I'm so sorry," he kept saying. Gibbs was touched by the use of the word Daddy. He pulled him onto his lap, careful not to put any pressure on his backside, and held him close as Tony sobbed into his chest. Rubbing his back, he let Tony cry out all the tension and upheaval of the last 24 hours.

"You're ok Bud," he soothed softly. "It's all over, shh, it's all over."

Continuing to comfort Tony, he felt the boy begin to calm down as the sobs turned to sniffles. When, after a few minutes Tony's breathing was back to normal, Gibbs said, "You ok?"

"I'm so sorry," Tony repeated again.

"Hey Bud, I know. It's ok." Gibbs sat Tony back and lifted his chin. "Look at me carefully," he said. When he had Tony's full attention, he continued, "Tony, it's over. You did something silly, you've been punished, we're done, ok? I don't love you any less now than I did this morning or yesterday. My love for you will remain the same no matter what happens."

Tony nodded and, reaching around, continued to rub at his bottom.

"That really hurt Dad," he said rubbing furiously.

"I know Tony, it was meant to," said Gibbs pulling him close for a hug. "Maybe next time you're tempted to do something silly, you'll remember this and think twice."

"I will I promise," Tony replied.

Gibbs leaned in and kissed the top of his head. "Good, because I really don't want to have to do that again."

They sat in silence for a while. Tony rubbing his bottom and waiting for the initial sting to pass, Gibbs hugging him close thankful that it was all over. When he felt Tony pull away, Gibbs stood and, lifting Tony, he set him on his feet.

"So do you want to come downstairs and eat your lunch, or do you want to stay up here for a bit?" asked Gibbs.

"I'll come down, but I think I might stand to eat lunch if that's ok?" said Tony.

"Yep, I did the same thing when my Dad spanked me for doing exactly what you did." Gibbs shared.

"Really? You drank your Dad's bourbon?" asked Tony incredulously. He couldn't imagine his Dad ever breaking the rules.

"Well it was scotch and I was a couple of years older than you but, yes, I did the same thing. And my Dad made sure I never did anything so stupid again either." Gibbs said smiling. He hoped sharing this story might make Tony realise that, while it was a silly thing to do, he wasn't alone when it came to making mistakes.

"Wow, I can't imagine you ever getting into trouble," said Tony in awe.

Gibbs laughed. "Oh Tony, trust me, I got into my fair share of scrapes when I was younger. But, hey, I survived. The thing about making mistakes is to learn from them so that we don't do them again."

"I won't ever do that again, I promise," said Tony seriously. "And not just because of the spanking. I got really scared last night when Ducky and you were standing over me. I couldn't feel my body properly and then Ducky was putting a needle in me and then all the throwing up. I was scared about those things we talked about, like my heart stopping or choking and stuff. I thought they were gonna happen. Being scared was worse than the spanking, although that was pretty bad as well."

"I was pretty scared too Tony," said Gibbs, stroking Tony's head. "But I'm very thankful that you chose not to drink all that alcohol. You made the right decision then. It possibly saved your life."

Gibbs grabbed the sandwich from the side table. "Come on then," he said, stepping out of the bedroom. "Let's have some lunch and then you lie on the couch and watch some TV."

As they headed down stairs, Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief. Jenny had been right again. He had survived, but more importantly, so had Tony.


	22. Food Fights

**AN: OK not a lot of point to this chapter other than to provide a bit of fun and relief after the last couple of chapters. The food fight is based on an actual event. The differences being, there were four children involved, it was a large bowl of chocolate mousse and it took a lot longer than an hour to clean up. However, it taught me two very valuable lessons in life. One, you cannot possibly regain control of a situation when you have chocolate mousse dripping down your nose, and two, sometimes you've just gotta go with the flow and have some fun. Everything is washable! **

**I also hope the final scene between Jenny and Ziva maybe answers some of the points brought up by Gibblette. Interestingly, this chapter has been written for a couple of weeks, (I like to be ahead) but I hope it explains the way I wrote the spanking scene with Tony. I don't spank, but my sister and many of my friends do. One friend in particular has three children. When she or her husband spank, they almost never do so when they're angry or in a reactionary way. They wait until everyone has calmed down (and I'm talking about five or ten minutes here, not a couple of hours). The children know what to expect and, once the punishment has been administered, they are remorseful and seek comfort and forgiveness. They react in just the way I wrote Tony, it's actually who I got my inspiration from. Now, their third child, or the devil incarnate, as they like to call her, is very much like Ziva. Stubborn, strong willed and always has to have the last word. Just as Jenny did, my friend spanked her daughter out of frustration one day and she reacted in the exact way Ziva did (again my inspiration for the scene). I wanted to show the difference between spanking in anger or waiting until the volatile situation has calmed a little and everyone knows what's expected. This obviously doesn't work with small children when you might give them a slap for touching a stove or running on the road, but for children around Ziva and Tony's age, it is remarkably effective and even to this day, it surprises me how responsive their children are to this style of discipline. Again, it's not my style, but it works for them, and I think it's the way Gibbs would parent. Anyway, just my two cents worth. **

**Enjoy the following fluff and nonsense.**

Chapter 22 - Food Fights

As Tony stood at the counter and ate his sandwich, Gibbs sent a quick text to Jenny;

**'All good, safe to return'**

He was looking forward to having Ziva back and putting the last twenty-four hours behind them. Looking out the window at the beautiful sunny day, Gibbs felt like a cloud had lifted from their little family. Tony had understood why his actions had been so dangerous and, despite the occasional reaching back and rubbing, he appeared none the worse for wear after his spanking. He certainly wasn't holding a grudge or sulking. He was, in fact, just the opposite. Gibbs was overjoyed to see a return to the cheerful, cheeky Tony. The last few days had been frustrating for everyone, and, just like Ziva, he knew Tony wouldn't stop testing him, but he hoped that he could see that if needed, Gibbs would discipline him in love and not out of anger.

As he put his plate in the sink, Tony said, "I think I might go and watch some tv if that's ok?"

"Sure Bud," said Gibbs. "Do you want to get dressed first?"

"Ahh, no," replied Tony a little awkwardly. "My pjs are nice and loose and don't rub on my butt so much," he said, going red with embarrassment.

"That's fine," said Gibbs smirking. He pulled Tony in for a hug. "It won't last forever you know," he reminded him.

"Yeah, I know," said Tony. "It's actually really strange because when Senior belted me, it hurt so much worse than this but afterwards I didn't feel the same. Like, when you spanked me, I felt really sorry for what I had done and I honestly didn't want to do it again. But with Senior, I just felt angry and hurt and all I wanted to do was find ways to make him suffer. Why is that Dad?" Tony looked up at Gibbs genuinely confused.

"Well," began Gibbs. "I hope it's because you know how much I love you and that I spanked you because I didn't want you to make the same mistakes again. I'm also not angry at you. I certainly don't like the choices you made but I still love you. I think that makes a huge difference. From what you've told me, Senior was often angry and hateful when he hit you and I don't think he thought about how you were feeling. That's not what discipline is about. I imagine you would have felt betrayed and worthless and that would lead to those feelings of hate and anger.

Tony nodded. "When it was over, he would just walk away and leave me there." Tony tightened his arms around Gibbs. "Thanks for staying with me and hugging me afterwards. It probably sounds dumb but that helped a lot."

"It doesn't sound dumb at all Tony," replied Gibbs smiling. "It's exactly what Ziva said as well."

Tony pulled away and looked up at Gibbs. "Where is Ziva?" he asked, thinking of her for the first time.

"Jenny took her out for a while," said Gibbs stroking Tony's head. "I kind of figured you'd choose the spanking and I didn't really want Ziva listening to that. She has some pretty horrible memories around spankings as well."

"We're a bit stuffed up, aren't we Dad?" Tony said referring to himself and Ziva.

"No Tony," said Gibbs firmly. "You are two of the most amazing children I have ever had the pleasure to meet and I love you both so much it hurts sometimes. There's nothing wrong with either of you. We all have things in our pasts that were difficult or sad, but they help to make us into the people we are. And you and Ziva are strong, smart, healthy and beautiful. You both make me smile everyday and I wouldn't trade that for the world. You got that?" Gibbs looked firmly into Tony's eyes.

"Yep," said Tony grinning. "I got that."

"Good," said Gibbs spinning Tony around and kissing him on the head. "Now go and watch some tellie and hopefully Ziva and Jenny will be here soon."

He watched Tony grab the remote and switch on the set. Crawling up on the sofa he laid himself down on his stomach and settled in to be mindlessly entertained for a while.

It was just after three when Gibbs heard the front door opening. He rushed over to greet them, lifting Ziva into his arms and saying, "Hi Sweat Pea, I missed you."

"I was only gone for a little while Daddy," she said laughing, hugging him around the neck.

"Still missed ya," he repeated, kissing her on the cheek.

Seeing Tony on the couch, Ziva squealed, "Tony! Put me down Daddy, I want to see Tony."

Gibbs lowered her to the floor and watched as she ran over to Tony. Before Tony had a chance to say hi, Ziva had leapt onto his back and, facing his feet, she lifted the elastic of his pyjama bottoms and inspected carefully.

"Ziva!" cried Tony, both shocked and embarrassed by her actions. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just checking to make sure you're not bleeding," she said earnestly, still studying his skin carefully. Snapping back the elastic and swivelling around, she replied, "Nope, you're all good!"

Tony twisted around so that he was lying on his back and Ziva was now sitting on his tummy, facing him. His bottom hurt a little bit was it wasn't too bad.

"Why on earth would I be bleeding Zi," he asked, still shocked by her blatant disregard for his modesty.

"Ari did sometimes," she said quietly, looking at him. "I used to help him feel better afterwards by putting a cold flannel on him. Sometimes, his back would bleed too. Hey, your back isn't bleeding is it?" she asked trying to lift his top.

"Ziva, I'm not bleeding at all. Dad just spanked me, he didn't attack me with a knife," Tony replied, beginning to understand what his Dad had meant when he said Ziva had some pretty bad memories around spanking.

"Yeah, well Abba used to call it spanking too, but Ari still bled. But, I'm pleased to say," she said, sitting up straight and folding her arms, "there is no sign of bleeding on your bottom at all." She smiled happily at him. Then, leaning in, she added, "It's very red though, does it hurt real bad?"

"A little," said Tony embarrassed. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation.

"Did Daddy let you rub afterwards and did he hug you tight?" Ziva checked, making sure her instructions had been heeded.

"Yeah, he did Zi," Tony replied smiling at her.

"It helps a lot doesn't it?" she said quietly.

"Yeah," he agreed.

Ziva laid down on his chest and, gripping him around the neck, she hugged him tightly. "We have the best Daddy," she whispered into his ear.

"We do," Tony agreed again, putting his hands around her back and hugging her to him.

She pulled back and climbed off his body. Running up to Gibbs she said, "Daddy you did a good job at listening to me. I'm glad Tony isn't bleeding because I would have been real mad at you. His bottom is very red but I guess he was pretty naughty."

Gibbs looked down at her serious face and smiled. "I'm so pleased you approve of my parenting techniques," he said sarcastically.

"Of course Daddy," she replied, not understanding the sarcasm. "You're the best!"

As Gibbs, Jenny and Ziva headed into the kitchen, Gibbs asked, "So did you have fun with Jenny?"

"Yep," she replied. He laughed at how well she had adapted to English since regressing. The adult Ziva barely used contractions let alone words such as 'yep' and 'nope'.

"We had popcorn and Jenny only had to tell me once to stop throwing it," she replied proudly.

Looking at her, Gibbs asked, "Why were you throwing it at all?"

"Because the boy behind me kept kicking my seat and wouldn't listen when I told him to stop. I wanted to throw the ice from my drink but then I thought that might hurt a lot so I chose the popcorn instead."

Out of the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw Jenny cover her mouth and turn around so that Ziva wouldn't see her smiling.

"See Daddy, that was a good choice wasn't it?" Ziva asked proudly.

"Well, probably not throwing anything would have been a better choice, but yes, between the popcorn and the ice, you made the right choice."

"And Jenny only had to tell me once to not throw the food, didn't you Jenny?" Ziva said, looking at Jenny's back.

"Ah huh," replied Jenny, not turning around and suddenly busying herself retrieving mugs from the cupboard. Gibbs could distinctly see her shoulders shaking.

"But Daddy," Ziva pulled him in close and whispered, "When we left the picture theatre, I managed to stomp on his foot real good. He didn't say anything, but he had tears in his eyes. Jenny doesn't know that part, so shhh," she finished putting her fingers to her lips.

"I won't tell a soul," he confided.

Opening the fridge, Ziva took out two pop-top bottles of juice and skipped into the living room. When she'd gone, Jenny and Gibbs looked at each other and promptly burst out laughing.

"Oh God Jethro," said Jenny when she'd managed to get her breath back. "They broke the mold after making that one. It's a good job she's so cute!"

She took the mugs to the machine and poured two cups. Handing one to Gibbs, they both sat at the table.

"So, you survived then?" Jenny asked smiling at Gibbs.

"Yeah, we both did," he replied. "Thank God that's over though. I used to hate it the odd few times I had to spank Kelly. It certainly doesn't get easier."

"Of course it doesn't," Jenny replied. "You're inflicting pain on someone you love. But if it means Tony will never do something so stupid again, then it's worth it."

"Yeah, well wait till it's your turn Jen," Gibbs said knowingly. "I'll remind you of this conversation!"

"Nah, I'll just use the old 'wait till your father gets home' routine," she said laughing.

"So," said Gibbs changing the subject, "Apart from the popcorn throwing, all went well today?"

"Yeah," replied Jenny standing up to get a piece of fruit out of the bowl. She offered Gibbs an apple and, when he nodded, tossed it to him and took one for herself. "She told me more about Ari and how her father would beat him until he bled."

Gibbs bit into his apple and began chewing slowly. He swallowed and said, "I can't ever forgive Ari for what he did, but there's a small part of me that can see why he was the way he was. He was so full of hate and revenge towards his father, he was willing to do anything to hurt him. Turning traitor was his ultimate revenge."

He took another bite and, after swallowing continued, "You know Kate saw the Ari that Ziva talks about. Twelve months earlier, she had the opportunity to kill him, but she couldn't do it. When I asked her why, she said it was his eyes. She saw something in him that none of us saw, not even Ducky and he sees the good in everyone. Ahh Jen," he sighed. "We live in a screwed up world sometimes."

"What you're only figuring that out now?" she said smirking at him.

He smiled in return. "I tell ya, those two in there are turning me soft," said Gibbs shaking his head and biting into his apple again.

"Yep!" she agreed. "Hope you don't want your job back in a couple of years, although I suppose we could put you in charge of the crèche."

He glared at her.

"Nope, even the glare doesn't work anymore," she said sighing. "You're a lost cause I'm afraid."

Taking the last bite of his apple, he pitched the core at her and smiled smugly when it splattered against her forehead.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, wiping the mess with the back of her hand. Looking at her own half eaten apple, she turned it so the uneaten side was primed for attack and was just about to launch when Tony and Ziva walked in, empty juice bottles in hand ready to throw away.

Looking at Jenny suspiciously, Tony asked, "Where you just about to throw your apple at Dad?"

"Who me?" she responded innocently. "Never!" Turning the apple in her hand, she bit into it and began to chew casually, grinning mischievously at Gibbs.

"Jenny?" asked Ziva, staring curiously at Jenny's forehead. "Why do you have snot on your head?"

Brushing her hand against her forehead and wiping away the missed apple residue, Jenny replied. "It's not snot Honey, it's smooshed apple from where your Daddy threw his apple core at me."

"Daddy!" said Ziva shocked. She turned to face him and pointed her finger at him. "That's naughty!" she added.

"Yeah, I got time-out for that," said Tony. "Now how old are you again?" he asked figuring out how long to calculate timeout for.

"Forget it Tony," said Ziva shaking her head. "If you put Daddy in time-out, we'll never get dinner. It'll be tomorrow before he's allowed to go."

Jenny burst out laughing while Gibbs made a grab for Ziva. Picking her up he began to tickle her ribs saying, "Are you calling me old, young lady?"

"Yep," she said giggling. "You are old Daddy."

"Right," he said, lifting her up and setting her on the floor. "For that, you have to get your own dinner tonight. I'm on strike!" He folded his arms in mock indignation.

"Yay!" she said turning to Tony. "Let's have ice-cream!"

Jenny laughed at him. "Major backfire, old man!"

"Thank you for pointing that out, _Madam_ Director," he replied grinning at her.

This time she didn't hesitate. Lifting her arm, she launched her apple and hit him right between the eyes.

"Bulls-eye!" she said. "I guess I still pass my firearms proficiency test."

Picking up the apple from the floor, Gibbs stood and walked menacingly towards her.

"Don't you dare Jethro, there are children present," warned Jenny, jumping up from her seat and retreating backwards around the table.

"Should've thought about that before ya made stewed apple on my head." Gibbs replied, showing no mercy as he advanced on her.

"You threw yours first," exclaimed Jenny, hands held in front of her to ward off any incoming missiles.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other. Then bending down, Tony whispered something into Ziva's ear. She nodded grinning and they both headed to the fridge. They quickly found what they wanted and, grasping the heavy bowl, they put it on the floor. Dipping their hands into the gooey, green substance, each scooped a large handful of the jelly and cream desert that had been left over from the barbecue.

Gibbs and Jenny, too preoccupied with their own game of cat and mouse, were caught completely unaware when Tony, aiming for Gibbs, and Ziva, her eyes fixed on Jenny, attacked from behind. Shoving their hands into their targets' faces, Jenny and Gibbs suddenly found themselves with a face-full of jelly and cream.

"Augh!" cried Gibbs as he felt the cream enter his nostrils. Before he could react though, Tony had bent down and scooped a second handful, this time jumping on Gibbs' back and wiping it all through his hair. Not to be outdone, Ziva, also going in for a second shot, had jumped on the table and was now covering Jenny's head with handfuls of cream.

Realising the damage had been done, Jenny and Gibbs scooped the sticky mess from their heads and proceeded to smother their assailants in their own ammunition. With jelly and cream covering the floor and table, planned attacks were become more and more difficult as each person slipped and skidded around the kitchen.

Noticing Gibbs was focused on attacking Ziva and Tony at the same time, Jenny took advantage of the distraction. Finding the half filled bowl of dessert still sitting on the floor, she picked it up. Standing behind Gibbs, she lifted the bowl high and, managing to make eye contact with Tony and Ziva who quickly ducked out of the way, she tipped the whole contents of the bowl over Gibbs' head. As jelly and cream dripped down his face, over his ears and into his shirt, Gibbs watched as Tony and Ziva 'hi-fived' Jenny.

"Truce!" he shouted.

"Surrender!" called back Tony and Ziva.

Realising he was in no position to bargain, he conceded. "Ok, you win, I surrender!"

"Yes!" they shouted, punching the air. "We win!"

Taking a moment to catch their breath, all four looked down at themselves and then around at the kitchen. Thinking quickly, Tony announced, "Loser has to clean the kitchen!" Then, shaking the last remnants of dessert from his head, he hightailed it out of the kitchen and straight up to the bathroom. He was quickly followed by Ziva who did not want to be left alone with Jenny and Gibbs.

Stunned by what had just taken place, Gibbs shook jelly and cream from his hands and, looking at Jenny, said, "Remind me to thank Brigette for bringing such a lovely dessert. I'll be sure to tell her how much we enjoyed it."

Within an hour, the kitchen had been cleaned along with the occupants of the house. Going to the car, Jenny had grabbed her 'go bag' which she always kept ready for emergencies and, after showering, was able to change into a clean pair of jeans and shirt. It wasn't long before the four of them were back in the kitchen.

"So Daddy, what are we going to have for dinner," asked Ziva looking expectantly into his face.

"Hmmm," hummed Gibbs, heading towards the fridge. He opened the door and stuck his head inside. "Well, let's see. We have left over burgers from yesterday and I think there's a bit of salad." He turned to look at Ziva. "I guess Abby gave up on the legumes this week."

She nodded and giggled.

Looking back in fridge, he moved the salad bowls "Ahh, there's some casserole from the other night, the beef one or," he stood up."We could have some eggs on toast." He looked around at everyone. "I guess it's a pick'n'mix tea tonight. Didn't get to the market yesterday so not a lot of choice I'm afraid."

"We could go shopping now," Ziva suggested excitedly.

Gibbs shook his head. "It's too late Sweat Pea, besides, pick'n'mix can be fun."

"It's not too late, the shops are open all the time," she argued.

"It's too late for me," replied Gibbs. "So, Miss David, what's your choice for this evening's fare?"

Ziva, leaning on one hip and looking up to the ceiling, tapped her finger on her mouth and thought hard. "Ummmm," she said making a big display of trying to decide.

"Ok, I'll come back to you," said Gibbs shaking his head at her antics. "Tony?"

"Burgers please," said Tony already in the process of getting a plate.

"Jen?" asked Gibbs, turning to her.

"Burgers sound pretty good to me too," she said, taking down another three plates. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Glaring at her he replied sarcastically, "No, I think you've done quite enough for tonight."

"Oh Jethro, where's your sense of adventure," she admonished cheekily.

"Down the drain with all that cream!" he growled, but his eyes were twinkling. The food fight had been just what they had needed.

"You decided yet missy?" he said coming back to Ziva.

"Casserole," she said, "No, wait a minute, I'll have eggs,"

"You sure?" Gibbs asked looking down at her.

"No," she answered honestly.

"Well I'm going to go with the majority and have burgers as well." Gibbs said, taking out the meat, salad and burger buns.

"I know!" said Ziva, suddenly hit with inspiration. "I'll have a burger too but instead of a burger I'll have casserole and egg on it."

"Then it's not a burger," said Tony. "It's just casserole with egg and bread."

"It is too a burger," argued Ziva crossing her arms. "It's a casserole and egg burger."

"That doesn't even make sense," said Tony patronisingly.

"Does too!" said Ziva.

"Does not!" argued Tony.

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Hey!" interrupted Gibbs, "Quit it, both of you." He glared at them ominously. Then, as he turned to take out the casserole, he heard Ziva say quietly, "Does too!"

"Ziva," he warned.

She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"Don't you look at me like that young lady or you'll find yourself in bed with nothing. Now go and sit down before you get yourself into trouble." He smirked as she turned around and stomped to the table. Sitting down forcibly, she scowled at Tony.

When Tony grinned at her, she poked out her tongue at him.

"Hey," said Jenny tapping her on the leg to get her attention. "That's enough. Let's not spoil the evening by fighting with each other."

"Ok," Ziva said begrudgingly. "But you can have a casserole and egg burger!" she added, making sure she had the final word.

After dinner, Gibbs put Tony and Ziva in charge of the dishes saying that he'd already done his share for the evening by cleaning up the earlier mess. Leaving the two children to it, Gibbs and Jenny went into the living room.

As Tony filled the sink, Ziva carried the last of the plates to the side board.

"So how was your casserole with eggs and bread?" Tony teased.

Glaring at him, Ziva said menacingly, "Casserole and egg burger!"

"No such thing," said Tony, swishing the water around so as to increase the bubbles in the water.

"Is too!" said Ziva grimacing while talking between her teeth.

Tony raised his eyebrows at her and annoyingly rolled his eyes and mouthed, _'Is not'._

Feeling herself ready to explode, Ziva dipped her hands in the frothy water and splashed about two cups worth of water over Tony, covering him with soap suds.

Shocked by the sudden onslaught, he plunged his hands into water and scooped out another two cups worth, tipping it all over Ziva.

Not wanting to alert the adults to their fight, the pair of them began to engage in silent hand to hand combat, pushing and kicking for all they were worth. Having managed to get a couple of good kicks to his shin, Ziva raised her foot trying to aim for Tony's backside. However, her other foot, now the only thing supporting her body, began to slide on the wet floor. As if in slow motion, she desperately tried to regain balance but found herself falling backwards as neither foot was able to gain control. Suddenly there was an almighty thud as Ziva landed first on her backside, followed quickly by her back, shoulders and head.

More shocked than hurt, she lay there stunned as Tony rushed to kneel over her, concern etched on his face and asked, "Are you alright?"

She nodded while he grabbed her hand and attempted to lift her up. As her bottom made contact with the hard floor she yelped in pain, falling back and pulling Tony with her. As they both lay on the floor, they suddenly spied two pairs of adult feet, rushing into the room.

"What on earth are you two doing?" exclaimed Gibbs, his voice raised while his eyes surveyed the mess of bodies and water.

Looking up, both children could see Jenny and Gibbs glaring down at them. Jenny with her hands on her hips and Gibbs with his arms crossed. Neither adult was looking too impressed.

Turning to each other, Tony pointed at Ziva shouting "She started it!" while Ziva pointed at Tony shouting "He started it!"

Gibbs stepped forward and, grabbing each child by the arm, he hoisted them up so they were standing next to each other.

"Explain! Now!" he commanded.

Wide eyed, both children launched into a hurried explanation, each speaking over the top of the other so neither Jenny nor Gibbs could understand a word of what was being said.

"Hey!" yelled Gibbs. "One at a time. Tony?"

"We were teasing each other and then Ziva splashed water on me and I splashed some back and then we started fighting and Ziva slipped and landed on the floor," he babbled quickly.

Gibbs looked at Ziva, who confirmed the story by nodding her head vigorously.

"You hurt?" asked Gibbs still glaring at her.

She nodded again.

"Where?" he asked softening his tone.

"My bottom," she answered softly.

"Can you walk ok?" asked Jenny entering the conversation. "Go and walk to the door for me and back again."

Ziva did as asked. Watching carefully both Jenny and Gibbs noticed she wasn't limping or didn't seem to have hurt her back. When she arrived back to her place, Jenny looked at Tony and asked, "Are you hurt?"

Tony also nodded and said, "My shin where Ziva kicked me."

"Let's see," said Gibbs and, as Tony lifted the bottom of his pyjama leg, Gibbs could see the beginnings of a bruise.

"So what started all this?" asked Jenny looking down at the two miscreants.

They both shrugged.

"Think about it!" growled Gibbs, not accepting the shrug as an answer.

They were both silent for a minute then Tony said, "Um I might have said something about her dinner?"

"Might or did?" questioned Gibbs.

"Um, did?" replied Tony, his voice lifting questioningly.

"And then you?" Gibbs continued, looking at Ziva.

"Then I splashed water on him," she said, her voice as sure as her confidence in her actions.

Hearing the change in her tone, Jenny said, "Oh and you're proud of that are you?"

"Well he shouldn't have teased me about my casserole and egg burger." Ziva replied, switching her gaze to Jenny. When she heard Tony snort, she looked at him and said angrily, "It is too a real meal because I invented it and I ate it!"

"Ok, so how did we get from splashing water, to both of you being on the floor with bruised body parts?" Gibbs questioned, feeling like he was back in interrogation.

Deciding he'd better get a word in before Ziva started to look like the innocent party, Tony said, "Well, I then splashed water on Ziva and she got real mad and kicked me hard on the shin. Then we started fighting a bit and when Ziva tried to kick me in the butt, she slipped. I tried to pull her up but her butt was really sore and she fell back pulling me with her and that's when you came in." His voice dwindle off, looking at one adult to the other, hoping his version of the facts was enough to prevent them from being in further trouble.

"So," said Gibbs, "Let's see if we've got this correct. You," he said, looking at Tony, "decided that you'd continue the discussion I had asked you earlier to stop, by teasing Ziva about her food." Tony looked down and started picking at his fingers. "Then you," Gibbs continued staring at Ziva, "couldn't possibly just ignore Tony's teasing, had to then splash water all over him and the floor…"

"I was just aiming for Tony, the floor was…." began Ziva, ensuring the facts were correct.

"Ziva!" growled Jenny. "I would just listen if I were you, young lady."

Maintaining eye contact with Gibbs, Ziva closed her mouth.

Giving his attention back to Tony, Gibbs continued, "Well of course, you couldn't allow that to happen so you retaliated by splashing water all over Ziva and the floor." He looked at the pair of them. "How am I going so far?"

"Well apart from the mistakes about throwing water on the floor…" Ziva began cheekily.

Striding up to her, Jenny grabbed Ziva's arm and, twisting her around, landed a firm swat to her already sore bottom.

As Ziva gasped and looked up at her in shock, Jenny said, "That's for being cheeky and disrespectful."

Yanking her arm out of Jenny grasp, Ziva gave the woman a glare that would have seen her burn in hell had Ziva had that power. Deciding it was definitely in his best interest to remain invisible, Tony looked at the floor and kept his mouth firmly shut.

"Right," said Gibbs, speaking before Jenny and Ziva ended up in an all out wrestling match on the floor, "I'm assuming, once Tony tipped water on you," he looked again at Ziva, who was seething with anger, "you decided to start kicking him and before you knew it, you were both fighting on a slippery, wet floor resulting in Ziva falling and hurting herself. Yes?" he asked looking at them both.

"Yes Sir," answered Tony,

"Ok," continued Gibbs, taking a deep breath. "I think both of you need to spend some alone time in your own rooms and think about the way you treat each other. Either, or both of you could have been seriously hurt tonight." He stepped aside so the way was clear. "Go on, off you go. I'll call you when you can come down."

Seeing his escape route, Tony immediately left, almost running up the stairs in his haste to vacate the area. As Ziva turned to leave, Jenny called her back.

Watching Ziva stand in front of her, arms crossed and scowling defiantly, Jenny crouched down and said softly. "I'm sorry I spanked you like that. I got very angry at your rudeness to Daddy and I reacted badly."

Ziva continued to glare at Jenny, but her scowl lessened and her body became a little more relaxed.

"I wasn't meaning to be rude, I was just saying that I wasn't trying to get water on the floor I was aiming at Tony and the water accidentally got on the floor," Ziva explained, trying to defend her actions.

"Yes, but when Daddy's trying to tell you what you were doing wrong, arguing like that is disrespectful. Whether you were meaning to or not, you did get water all over the floor, and that was what Daddy was pointing out to you," explained Jenny.

Ziva broke eye contact and looked at the floor, still not ready to forgive just yet.

"Now listen to me carefully." Jenny said, lifting Ziva's chin so they were looking directly at each other. "I was wrong because I let my anger get the better of me and I hit out at you. Now you didn't like that did you?"

She shook her head,

"Well, that's exactly what you did to Tony. You got angry and instead of talking calmly to Tony and telling him that you don't like it when he teases you, you began kicking him." Putting her arm around Ziva's waist she pulled the little girl in and, sitting on the floor, she placed Ziva on her lap.

"Ziva, you and I both have hot tempers and it doesn't take much for us to get mad and start hitting out at people. When I was a little girl, my temper was the biggest thing that always got me into trouble. Now we both know that hurting people because we've lost our temper is wrong. Instead of just grabbing you and spanking you, I should have explained that you were being rude and given you a warning. I'm sorry I didn't do that. It didn't give you a chance to made the right choice and change your behaviour."

Ziva nodded her head and said, "I shouldn't have lost my temper and kicked Tony either. He just makes me so mad sometimes."

"I know Honey, your Daddy does the same thing to me,"

Suddenly comprehending what Jenny had said, Ziva giggled. "Do you sometimes kick Daddy as well?" she asked still giggling.

"No, I just throw apples at him," she said winking. "So, do you forgive me?" she asked looking at Ziva.

"Yeah, I guess. Just don't do it again, I didn't like it. It made me feel all yucky inside," said Ziva scowling again.

"We all made mistakes Honey, that's why it's important to say we're sorry to each other."

"Do you think I should say I'm sorry to Tony?" Ziva asked.

"I think that's a good idea," said Jenny. "I'm sure he'd appreciate it. And, you never know, he might be feeling sorry for teasing you."

"Can I do it now?" she asked.

Jenny looked up at Gibbs knowing he'd sent them to their rooms. He gave a quick nod.

"How about I come with you and you can say sorry to Tony? Then you can go to your own room and wait for Daddy to call you back down again?"

"Ok," said Ziva standing up from Jenny's lap. Jenny pushed herself up from the floor until, she too, was in a standing position. Then, taking Ziva's hand she led the little girl up the stairs.

Left standing alone in the kitchen, Gibbs surveyed the mess and then grumbled to himself. 'How did I end up with cleaning detail again?"

It wasn't long before Jenny returned and joined Gibbs at the sink. Grabbing the tea towel she said, "Sorry if I overstepped the mark Jethro. I shouldn't have smacked her like that. It goes against everything we're trying to teach them."

"Yeah," said Gibbs sighing. "And here I thought you were the child expert with all the answers," he teased smirking at her.

"See!" she said frustrated. "That's what I mean. You're just like Tony, teasing and provoking and then we're the ones who end up feeling guilty because we've lashed out."

"Tut, tut, Jen" he said, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Watch that temper of yours or I'll have to put you in timeout."

Leaning into him she said provocatively, "I'd rather have the spanking."

Widening his eyes in surprise and having absolutely no idea how to respond to that, Gibbs pulled a glass from the soapy water and placed it on the draining board, saying, "Just shut up Jen and dry the dishes."

Thrilled that she had finally floored him, Jenny grinned and began drying the glass.


	23. Innocence Lost

**AN - Warning - this chapter mentions childhood abuse.**

Chapter 23 - Innocence Lost

It was a sleepy Ziva that climbed into Gibbs' bed at six o'clock the next morning. Feeling her warm body snuggle up to his, Gibbs turned over and put his arms around her.

"Good morning pumpkin," he greeted rubbing her back and she snuggled into his chest.

"Morning Daddy," she yawned.

"Did ya sleep good?" he asked.

She shook her head, burying her face in his neck.

"How come?" he asked.

"Every time I rolled over my bottom was really sore," she said.

"From where you fell last night?" he clarified.

She nodded.

He sat up and lifted her with him.

"Can I check Sweat Pea? I need to see if you're bruised or anything."

"Yep," she said not in the least bit shy. Pulling down her pyjama bottoms, she flipped over onto her tummy. Gibbs gently ran his hand over her bottom. He couldn't see any bruising.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked.

"Just here," she said, putting her hand at the base of her tail bone.

He pressed gently and she winced sucking in a breath of air.

"That hurts huh?" Gibbs said, pulling up her pyjamas.

"Ah huh," she acknowledged.

"Does it hurt when you walk?" he asked.

"No, just when I sit and sometimes when I roll over on my back," she said, pulling the covers back over her and wriggling down against him.

"OK, well I might give Ducky a call later and see if he can do an x-ray of your lower back. Make sure you haven't done anything serious," Gibbs said as she snuggled back into his chest.

"OK," she yawned.

He gently rubbed her lower back and it wasn't long before her breathing had evened out into slow, deep breaths. He lay there for a while, thinking about the best way to get them to NCIS. He wondered if Ducky would mind doing the x-ray after hours to limit the number of people in the building. He would check with him later that morning.

As he listened to Ziva sleeping, he was almost nodding off himself, when he heard footsteps down the hall. Carefully turning over, so as not to wake Ziva, he saw Tony enter his room and stand by the bed.

Lifting the covers, Gibbs said, "Hop in Bud, join the party."

As Tony climbed in and settled down, the boy put his feet on Gibbs' leg where his pyjamas had ridden up. Jumping, Gibbs said, "Tony you're feet are freezing!"

"Yeah, I know. I woke up with them out of the covers. That's why I came in here, to warm them up." He grinned at Gibbs.

"I feel so loved," replied Gibbs sarcastically.

As Tony rubbed his feet up and down Gibbs' warm leg, he shivered and said, "It's cold this morning."

Gibbs put his arms around him and vigorously rubbed his back to warm him up.

"Well, I'm pretty good," he said. "Sandwiched between you two, I'm toasty warm."

Tony laughed and rolled over so his back was against Gibbs' warm body. It wasn't long before all three were fast asleep.

Forty-five minutes later, Gibbs was awoken again to the sounds of two children giggling and a two pairs of legs kicking each other over his.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked when his knee was suddenly caught up in the scuffle.

"Trying to kick Tony," answered Ziva. She giggled as Tony's feet scissor kicked her leg, trapping hers between his.

Dragging Ziva over his body so she was now in the middle, Gibbs rolled out of bed saying, "Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm getting breakfast."

"Can I have eggs?" asked Ziva trying to roll out from Tony's grasp.

"You had eggs last night?" said Gibbs.

"Yeah, I know, it was yummy. That's why I want them again," she replied logically.

"Me too!" said Tony quickly avoiding Ziva's other leg as she kicked out at him. He climbed out of bed adding, "And can I have bacon as well?"

"So full cooked breakfast this morning hey?" remarked Gibbs, putting on a pair of track pants and sweatshirt over his pyjamas.

"Yep!" said Tony. "It's cold. I need something hot to warm me up."

"Good point," said Gibbs.

"Hey Daddy?" questioned Ziva.

As he turned to look at her, Gibbs noticed Ziva was now lying in the middle of the bed currently exploring the space around her by doing horizontal jumping jacks.

"Can I have a big bed like this?" she asked.

"Nope," he replied simply.

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Because you're three foot nothing and you don't need a big bed," answered Gibbs, scooping her up and setting her on the floor. "Now go and put on something warm and I'll meet you both in the kitchen," he ordered sending them on their way with a playful smack to their backsides.

"Ow, Daddy!" exclaimed Ziva, "My bottom remember!"

"Oh yeah, sorry Honey, I forgot," Gibbs answered making a mental note to ring Ducky after breakfast.

With breakfast over and Ziva and Tony happily playing checkers in the living room, Gibbs took out his cell and called Ducky.

"Good morning Jethro," came Ducky's cheerful greeting.

"Hey Duck," said Gibbs. Then getting straight to the point in usual Gibbs' style he said. "Ziva fell over last night and I'm a bit worried she may have damaged her back or tail bone. Do you think you could do an x-ray to check there's no damage."

"Certainly," replied Ducky, "Won't be a problem at all. I have an autopsy this afternoon but this morning is free."

"Ahh yeah, about that," began Gibbs. "I don't really want to bring them in when the place is busy. I know it's unlikely but I'd hate for someone to see them and, well not recognise them as such, but question who they are and where they came from."

"Oh yes, of course," said Ducky. "I'm so used to them being little now, I forget that no one else knows about this. Well, what about if you bring them over here this evening, say around 8.30? Most people will have left by then and, if you take the internal lift, you can come straight down to autopsy without having to go via the squad room."

"Sounds great Duck, thanks." He was about to hang up when Ducky suddenly said, "Actually Jethro, this could be a good opportunity to do a full C.T. scan of both of them to see how their bodies have reacted to the de-aging process. Remember how we talked about Tony's lungs? Well we could check to see whether the scarring is still there, or if it disappeared as he regressed."

"Yeah, good idea," acknowledged Gibbs. "It's a pity we don't have anything to compare the results with though," he added.

"Well, as it turns out Jethro," began Ducky and Gibbs could hear a distinct smile in his voice. "I took the liberty when we last had this conversation of acquiring their medical records. Tony's were easy having been raised here but it took a tad longer with Ziva. However, I eventually managed to call in a favour and have now received her records as well. I now have documents of every hospital visit, doctor's appointment and injury they have both attended or received since birth."

"Good work Doctor," praised Gibbs smirking. "Always one step ahead."

"I try Jethro," said Ducky laughing. "See you this evening." And with that, he hung up leaving Gibbs to ponder about what he'd said. It would be interesting to see what differences there were to their bodies. Would any childhood breaks still be visible? He didn't know whether either of them had sustained any, but having the records would be a great advantage.

Despite the cooler weather, the day was still clear and their time was spent continuing to work on the tree house. By the end of the day, they had managed to finish the actual house and we now working on the climbing frame. Gibbs found Tony was a great help and he made sure he praised the boy continually. Tony was very quick to put himself down, saying that he wasn't very good at things, so Gibbs ensured that he pointed out when Tony had given something a try or when he'd had success as well as encouraging him to keep going when small mistakes were made.

Ziva on the other hand was the complete opposite. Never one to suffer with a lack of self confidence, she flung herself into each task with a level of enthusiasm to rival Abby. It took a great amount of tact for Gibbs to try and gently point out that she needed to slow down and listen carefully to the instructions before attacking something with a saw or hammer.

However, by five o'clock, it was a tired but satisfied trio that entered the kitchen. They had enjoyed a wonderful day, working together and laughing. Gibbs, always one to revel in working with wood, was pleased that both Tony and Ziva seemed to share in his enjoyment of this hobby. He knew much of the reason was simply that they were spending time together, but he was happy to take it as a win. Tony, in particular, had shown a real aptitude for working with his hands, and Gibbs hoped to further nurture this skill over the time he would have with young Tony. Maybe then, when he grew again, they might be able to continue their shared joy and work on projects together.

"Ok," said Gibbs as both Tony and Ziva sat down at the table. "We're going to do something special tonight."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other suspiciously.

"What?" asked Gibbs wondering why the look had been exchanged.

"Well, is it something special that we will like or something special that you will like?" asked Tony.

"How about you hear me out and then decide?" replied Gibbs. "So I thought you could both go upstairs and have your shower and bath now…"

"Not sounding great so far," said Tony skeptically to Ziva who shook her head to indicate she wasn't impressed either.

"Then," continued Gibbs glaring at the pair of them, "we can go out for dinner to that pizza place you both like so much…"

"Ooh getting better," remarked Tony under his breath.

"And then I'd like to take you to NCIS so that we can do an x-ray on Ziva's back to make sure she didn't hurt herself last night when she fell," Gibbs finished up.

"Take us to where?" asked Ziva confused.

"NCIS," said Gibbs, then realising that neither of them would remember the place he added, "Where Daddy used to work."

"Why are we going there so late?" asked Ziva.

"Well because Ducky needs to do an x-ray and during the day he's very busy. This way he can x-ray you both without being interrupted," said Gibbs, thinking that most of that was fairly true.

"Hang on," interjected Tony. "You said 'both'. Why do I need an x-ray? I didn't fall or anything."

"Ah no," said Gibbs thinking fast. "But Ducky thought it might be a good idea to check out your lungs after the alcohol from the other night, just to make sure it didn't damage them or anything." Gibbs inwardly cringed at the lie. Thank goodness Tony wasn't any older, there'd be no way he would've believed that rot! "Then, he's going to do a C.T. scan of both of you. That's where you get to lie on a special table and it takes you through a tunnel a bit like going through the covered slide. When it's over, you'll be able to see what your bodies look like on the inside."

"Cool!" said Ziva.

"So are we in?" asked Gibbs looking at both children.

"Yeah I suppose," said Tony. "If it means pizza, I'm in for anything."

Once everyone was ready, Gibbs bundled both children into the car and managed to have them seated for dinner by 6.30. As per usual, Tony ordered his favourite, pepperoni with extra cheese while Ziva chose a margarita. He had noticed in the last couple of weeks, her taste buds were not as adventurous as they had been originally. Now that she was completely in her five year old mind, Ziva was more at home with mozzarella and tomato rather than oregano and feta. Not that she still didn't enjoy those ingredients, she just didn't call them by name anymore.

Once they had finished their meal, both children went to play on the special indoor playground that was attached to the pizza restaurant and was one of the main reasons this particular place was a favourite. Buying his third coffee for the evening, Gibbs found a table near the playground and sat down to supervise. Taking out his cell he made a quick call to Ducky to let him know they would be there shortly.

"Very good Jethro," said Ducky when Gibbs had finished. "I've cleared autopsy so there shouldn't be any nasty surprises for either of them to see."

"Thanks Duck, probably a good idea," replied Gibbs.

"Jennifer is still here," Ducky announced. "I wasn't sure if you'd let her know you were coming so I took the liberty of informing her. She'll be in her office should you wish to see her for any reason," the M.E. added. Although Gibbs couldn't see him, he knew the older man was smirking.

"I'll keep that in mind," said Gibbs. "Bye Duck," he added not wishing to discuss it any further.

"Yes, right," he heard Ducky say. "Goodbye Jethro. See you soon."

Gibbs smiled as he put his cell away. Having worked with Ducky during their Paris mission, he was the only other person who knew for sure of Jenny and Gibbs' previous relationship. Despite the many rumours and assumptions that often plagued the office, other than the three of them, no one else was actually privy to the truth.

By 8.25, Gibbs, Ziva and Tony were standing in the lift heading down to Autopsy. Gibbs had tried his best to explain what the room was like without actually going into detail as to what specific tasks took place in there, describing it a bit like an operating room.

When the familiar 'ding' rang out and the doors opened, the three of them found themselves heading into the sterile environment of stainless steel and neutral tones.

"Good evening my dear friends," greeted Ducky cheerfully. "It is such a pleasure to have you visit my little home."

"Do you live here?" asked Ziva horrified at the thought.

"No my dear," smiled Ducky indulgently. "Sorry, my mistake. I call this my home because it's where I spend all my time when I'm at work. It's not really my home."

"Oh that's good," replied Ziva relieved. "I would be worried about you if you had to live here. It's very cold and those beds do not look comfortable," she added, referring to the sterile metal tables.

Just as Ducky was about to lead them through to the x-ray room, the sound of the elevator 'ding' rang out a second time. Concerned that someone might see Ziva and Tony, Gibbs quickly took each child's hand and pulled them into Ducky's office.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Ziva. "Why are you taking us so quickly? I want to see what's in all those little cupboards in there."

"Shh," hushed Gibbs as he tried to see who had entered autopsy. When he heard the distinctive click of high heels on tiles and saw the trademark red hair, he sighed with relief.

"Geez Jen!" he growled emerging from the office. "Give us some warning next time. I didn't know who was coming in."

Giving him her best 'Director' look, she said, "I didn't realise I had to inform you of my whereabouts in my own agency Jethro."

"Well, no, not normally," he answered impatiently. "But seeing as I'm not alone, I thought that would have been fairly obvious."

Hating that he was right yet again, she rolled her eyes at her mistake and chose not to respond. Entering the office she looked at Tony and Ziva.

"So," she said, smiling at them. "I hear you've come to have some special pictures taken?"

"Huh?" said Ziva. "I thought we were having an x-ray and a C.T. scan done Daddy?" she asked looking up at Gibbs.

"You are Sweetie," he said knowingly. "Jenny just doesn't know the grown up words yet." Seeing Jenny's annoyed glare, he smirked at her.

Shaking his head at the banter, Ducky interrupted saying, "Well then, who's first?"

"Me!" shouted Ziva. "I fell over last night Ducky and hurt my bottom and Daddy wants to check that it isn't damaged," she informed him.

Smiling at her description, he said."Right, well we certainly wouldn't like you to have a damaged bottom. That wouldn't do at all. Now, I'm going to ask that you put on this special gown so that the camera will be able to take the x-ray easily."

"Come on Honey," said Jenny taking Ziva's hand along with the hospital gown. "I'll help you get ready."

Watching Jenny take Ziva through to the bathroom, Ducky turned to Gibbs and said, "I'll do the two x-rays first and then finish with the C.T. scans."

Gibbs nodded.

"Well young Antony, are you ready to get gowned up as well?" asked Ducky turning to Tony and handing him a second gown. "When Ziva's finished you can also use the bathroom."

Taking the gown, Tony walked over to the bathroom door and waited for Ziva to re-emerge. When she did, he burst out laughing. Unfortunately, Ducky's usual clients didn't normally require a hospital gown and so the only ones he had in stock were well and truly adult size. As she shuffled into the room, Ziva resembled a rather badly dressed mummy. Jenny had tried to hoist the gown up as much as possible, and seeing as it could wrap around her at least five times, she had tried to use the ties to keep everything bundled together.

"Ha ha ha Zi," laughed Tony hysterically, "You look like something from the Mummy's Curse!" He doubled over roaring with laughter and only stopped when Ziva applied a well placed punch to his stomach.

"Omph!" he groaned and, still doubled over, entered the cubicle.

As Ziva tried desperately to shuffle forward, Gibbs came to her rescue by picking her up and, walking along side Ducky, took her into the x-ray room. He laid her face down on the table. Then, walking around to where her head was, he crouched down and said, "I know Tony teases you a lot, and I know you are kind of only playing with him, but you really shouldn't punch him like that. Punching him in the stomach could cause some damage."

"Can I punch him in the arm then?" she asked.

"Well," said Gibbs, thinking hard. This was a tricky one. He knew they were only playing but didn't really want to give her permission to start whacking into Tony whenever he was having a bit of fun with her. "Maybe just do it a little softer. You're quite strong for your age."

"Like this Daddy?" and she thumped him right in the bicep muscle. God, she had bony little knuckles! Rubbing his arm he said, "Maybe a little softer."

"That was soft Daddy!" she said scornfully. "Ari and I punched each other much harder than that when we're training. Abba showed me all the good spots to attack where it would hurt the most, but he must have shown them to Ari too because he's really good at it."

Horrified at the thought of two children placed in a ring like pit bulls fighting, he shuddered and said, "Well you live with me and Tony now so I'd like you to be a lot gentler when you're playing. Ok?"

"OK, Daddy," she said sighing. "I'll try but I can't promise anything."

As Ducky came into the room and explained what was going to happened, Gibbs headed back out to find Tony standing next to Jenny not looking much better than Ziva did. Jenny was in the process of trying to wrap one of the ties around him, while Tony hoisted up the bottom so he didn't trip over.

"Ducky needs to re-think his supplies, Dad," said Tony. "I'm guessing he doesn't get many children in here?"

Not wishing to go into any details as to what Ducky actually did in this room, Gibbs just smiled and nodded.

The procedures went smoothly and it wasn't long before Tony and Ziva were back in their normal clothes and ready to head home. As Ducky collected the x-rays, he called Jenny and Gibbs over for a quick word. Ziva took this opportunity to have a good look around the room.

"Hey Tony," she called, crooking her finger at him and beckoning him over. She was standing by the mortuary drawers. As Tony stood next to her she said, "I wonder what's in these cupboards?"

Tony shrugged. "Don't know, open it and see," he suggested.

Turning the handle she pulled hard. She peered inside the empty space.

"Wow, it's really long in there. This would make a great hiding place." Putting her head inside, she shivered. "It's cold though."

A sudden, wicked smile crossed her face. "Hey Tony, why don't we hide in here from Daddy? Quick, we could do it now while they're all talking."

He nodded and without hesitation, they climbed into the cold chamber and shut the door.

"Once I've had a chance to compare the results, I'll give you a call Jethro," Ducky said as the three of them re-emerged into the main room. "However, I can say now that Ziva's x-ray is all clear. I'd say she's just bruised the coccyx. It will heal on its own fairly quickly.

Gibbs looked around. "Tony, Ziva," he called. "Time to go."

He turned to Ducky. "Thanks for this Duck. I really appreciate you staying back and taking the time. It will be interesting to see how they compare."

"Jethro," said Jenny, a hint of concern in her voice. "Where are they, they're not here."

"Hey?" said Gibbs, looking at her. "They have to be here. We were only in the office for a few minutes. Tony! Ziva!" he called louder.

Again there was no response. Gibbs headed to the doors near the elevator. They didn't open.

"I locked them when I came in," said Jenny. "So they must be in here somewhere."

"Ziva! Tony!" Gibbs called again, this time with a definite sternness in his tone. "You both need to come out now please."

Again, there was nothing but silence.

"Duck?" questioned Gibbs, looking at Ducky in the hope he may have some idea.

"I don't know Jethro. There's really nowhere they could go," he responded.

"They're not in here," said Jenny as she closed the bathroom door having just looked in.

Gibbs suddenly spied the drawers. "You don't think they would have crawled into one of the drawers do you?" he asked looking around at the others.

"Well it's possible I suppose," said Ducky. "We'd better check Jethro, and quickly. These draws are self sealing."

The three of them each took a section and frantically began opening each drawer. It was Jenny who eventually opened the right one which contained two very cold, but living specimens.

"Got them," she said, pulling the drawer fully open. Grabbing hold of Ziva, she lifted the little girl to the floor while Tony jumped down himself.

"Brrr," he said. "What on earth do you keep in there Ducky? It's freezing!"

"Forget that young man!" began Gibbs sternly, "What on earth were the pair of you doing in there?"

"We were hiding from you, Daddy. But we got stuck. The door wouldn't open," said Ziva rubbing her arms to warm up.

"That was a very silly thing to do. You should never put yourself in a small space like that and close the door," growled Gibbs looking crossly at both children. "That goes for any small space you find. If it doesn't have a second exit, leave the door open.

"But if we did that you would have found us," argued Ziva.

"And if we hadn't been looking for you, you could have died in there!" replied Gibbs. "Spaces like that run out of oxygen very quickly. Don't ever do something like that again. Got it?"

"Yes Sir," replied Tony quickly.

"But…" began Ziva.

"No buts Ziva, I mean it. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," she grumbled. "But if it's so dangerous then why does Ducky have them here. Anyone could climb in and get stuck!"

"I don't think people would normally crawl into them Ziva," said Tony. "Not everyone is as crazy as you."

"Stupid cupboards," she said grumpily. "It's not my fault the door got stuck. I think it's a great place to hide."  
Gibbs crouched down to her level. "Listen to me carefully Ziva." He lifted her chin so that she was looking directly at him. "Sometimes, you just have to listen to what Daddy tells you and accept that you can't do some things for no other reason than because I tell you no. You need to trust that I have your best interests at heart and I don't want to see you get hurt or put yourself in a dangerous situation."

"But Abba said I have to find things out for myself. That's the only way you learn. He used to take me and Ari into the forest and we would have to find our own way out. We didn't have food or water or anything. Sometimes it could take two or three days! One time, Ari climbed a really tall tree to try and see where we were but he fell out and broke his leg. I went on ahead to get help and when I found Abba, he told me I shouldn't have left Ari and that I had to go back and help him out. He said that there may not be any help for us so we had to use our brains and figure things out. Then he…" she broke off looking down.

"Well it doesn't matter, but we did find our way out. It was really hard but we learned lots that time. Abba never told us about dangers or anything, we had to find things out for ourselves. Protecting someone like you said is just making them weak Daddy." Her confidence in her words was almost frightening.

"No it's not Ziva," said Gibbs firmly. "Protecting someone is showing them love and care. What if someone never told you a stove was hot and you touched it?"

"You would burn, but you would learn not to do it again," she replied logically.

"But wouldn't it be so much better if someone told you it was hot and protected you by keeping you away from the stove until you were old enough to understand." Gibbs argued.

"No Daddy, because you wouldn't learn." She suddenly sat down and began to take off her shoe.

"What are you doing Ziva?" asked Gibbs.

"See, look at this Daddy." She held out her right foot and pointed to a scar on the bottom of her heel. He hadn't noticed that before. "See that there?"

"Yes," he said.

"Well that's how I learnt about fire Daddy. When I was three, Abba held my foot over a flame until it burnt. It hurt a lot but I learnt what a fire does. And now, I stay away from fire and flames."

Gibbs closed his eyes, trying to shut out the horror of her words. He knelt to the floor and gathered her in his arms, lifting her foot and kissing the scar softly.

"Daddy, that tickles," she laughed, giggling and squirming away from him.

Her beautiful laugh. His sweet little Ziva, so innocent and trusting. She had no clue that what her father had done to her was a crime. That it was horrific, cruel, unjust in every way possible. He had brainwashed her to believe that this was how people learned the lessons of life. How on earth could he, Gibbs, erase those horrors? How could he teach her that learning came from love, understanding, patience and instruction? He thought he was helping her by not telling her what kind of man her father was. That keeping the truth from her might somehow protect her from the horrors of her childhood. But hell, she had lived those horrors. They were as real to her as she was to him. He would be damned if he was going to allow Eli David to get away with what he had done. He may not be able to bring him to justice for the cruelty and abomination he subjected his children to, but he would make sure that Ziva knew what kind of a man called himself her biological father.

Taking a deep breath and swallowing back the bile that rose in his throat, he held her close.

"Listen to me Ziva," he said softly as he rocked her gently. "What your Abba did to you was very, very wrong. That is not how you teach someone. Daddies are meant to protect their children, keep them safe from harm, not throw them into the middle of it. When you love someone, you keep them from hurting themselves. You teach them to be kind, loving and compassionate by being all those things back to them. I want you to know what it is to be loved because you are worthy of love, I want you to be compassionate because others show compassion to you and to be strong because others share their strength with you. That's what being a parent is about Ziva. It's not about cruelty and power and control, it's about unconditional love. Loving someone no matter what they do or say or think. That's how I feel about you and Tony. There is nothing you can do or say that will make me love you any more or any less because my love for you is always the same."

"But Daddy, I have to earn your love by being strong and brave. I have to be clever and work things out for myself. No one can love someone who is weak and fails." She spoke with such conviction it broke his heart.

"No Ziva, Those things don't matter. Who you are inside is what matters. How much we are loved does not depend on how brave or strong we are, just as it doesn't matter if we fail at something or cry when we are hurt or sad." As he spoke, Gibbs knew that these were just words to her. That it would only be through demonstration that Ziva would truly understand what he was trying to say.

"All you need to know and believe right now is that _I love you_." As he said those last three words, he signed them to her, placing the sign for love on her chest. He looked up at Tony who was standing by Jenny, listening to every word he had said to Ziva. Gibbs beckoned him over. As he stood by Gibbs, he pulled him down so he was sitting on his lap.

"Same goes for you Tony. I don't care how many times I have to say it to either of you. I will say it every moment of every day if it will convince both of you that no matter what you say or do my love for you will never change. OK?" He looked at both of them as they nodded. Kissing them both gently on the head, he gave them each a quick hug. Then, picking up Ziva's sock, he rolled it in his hands and started to put it on her foot.

"I'll do that Dad," said Tony and Gibbs watched as he gently replaced the sock on Ziva's foot. He could see the compassion in Tony's eyes as he rubbed his thumb over Ziva's scarred heel. Her words had obviously penetrated his heart as well. As much as they fought and teased one another, their love was incredibly strong.

"I can do my shoe," said Ziva. Gibbs smiled at her; always Little Miss Independence.

Standing up, he looked at Jenny and Ducky who had been standing there while he talked to Ziva, silent witnesses to both the horror and compassion. As he passed Jenny, he was surprised to see the traces of tears on her cheeks. He gently wiped them with his thumb and she smiled at him. He could count on one hand the amount of times he had seen her cry. Never one for frivolous emotion, Jenny, like him, has mastered the art of bottling her feelings, not a good trait for either of them. But tonight, she too had been moved by what she'd heard. And, it was not simply the words Ziva spoke, but it was the offhand manner she used as if she were no more retelling a family vacation spent at the beach. It was that acceptance of her treatment that was almost more disturbing than the actual events of which she spoke. He let his hand fall to Jenny's shoulder and gently squeezed, letting her know that he understood how she felt.

Thanking Ducky once again, he released the lock on the doors and pushed the elevator button. With her shoe now replaced, he smiled as Tony put his arm around Ziva and led her to the lift. He was convinced tomorrow they would be back to their usual bickering selves, but for now, Tony was moved to show his little sister some much needed gentleness. As Jenny entered the elevator with them, Gibbs watched as Ziva cheerfully waved Ducky goodbye. She didn't realise how her words had affected everyone tonight. To her, she was simply trying to explain how she had been taught to see the world.

Looking up at all the dour faces around her, she asked, "Why is everyone so sad?"

Smiling at her, Gibbs picked her up and set her on his hip. "We're not sad Sweat Pea. It's just been a big day and I think we're all a bit tired."

Suddenly Jenny spoke. "You know what I think we all need?" Three pairs of eyes turned to her. "I think we should all go out and get hot fudge sundaes and chocolate milkshakes. What do you think?"

"Yes!" shouted Tony and Ziva together.

As the elevator sent out its familiar 'ding' and the doors opened, the four of them stepped out. Walking forward, Gibbs noticed that Tony had hesitated.

"What's up Bud?" he asked as Tony stood in the hall, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Maybe Ducky really likes long sandwiches. You know, instead of foot long subs, maybe he likes eight foot subs?

"Huh?" asked Gibbs. "What are you talking about?"

"Well honestly Dad, what else would you keep in those really long fridges?"

Shaking his head, Tony joined the group. Laughing, Gibbs put his arm around Jenny and the four of them walked out of the building; a little wiser, a little less innocent, but, hopefully, a little surer in their love for each other.


	24. Learning to Survive

**AN - Warning - more mention of child abuse**

**To the guest reviewer who asked about birthdays. Tony's birthday is in July (they seem to keep their birthdays the same as the actors who portray them) and Ziva's is in November. At the moment the story is set around May 2006 so it's a little early. Tony's birthday will happen during the vacation story I am planning on writing as a sequel.**

Chapter 24 - Learning to Survive

Gibbs couldn't believe it. Rolling over and looking at the clock, he checked it twice. 9.15am! He couldn't even remember the last time he had slept this late. But there it was, clear as day, a quarter past nine. Then, in true parent fashion, he panicked. Why hadn't the children woken up, well especially Ziva. Tony had been known to sleep late but Ziva? Never! Sleeping in for her was seven thirty. Albeit, it had been a late night so maybe she was just extra tired.

He tiptoed down the hall. Peeking into Tony's room, he could see the boy was fast asleep, his legs hanging out the side of the bed. No wonder he woke up with cold feet. Sneaking in, he pulled the blankets up and gently slid his leg in under them. Tony murmured and rolled over but remained asleep.

Arriving at Ziva's room, he saw that she too was fast asleep. Curled up tightly under the blankets, her steady breathing was the only sound in the room. He smiled and crept out again.

Well, as unusual as it was, they were just sleeping in, Gibbs thought. As he headed down the stairs and into the kitchen, he found himself with time on his hands. Turning on the coffee machine, he sat at the table and looked around expectantly. Four weeks ago, this would have been the norm, but now? Now he was used to the sounds of bickering children, Tony's smart alec responses and Ziva's constant chattering, or arguing as the case more often was. He found this unfamiliar silence disconcerting and actually hoped the children would wake soon so that there was a little more noise and life in the house. He smiled to himself. How things had changed.

As he poured a cup of steaming coffee, he thought back to last night. Jenny's suggestion of hot fudge sundaes and chocolate milkshakes had been just what they needed after the horror stories of the autopsy room. They had found a lovely little ice-creamery near one of the movie theatres. Being a Tuesday night, it was very quiet but the giggles and jokes from Tony and Ziva as they clambered into the cafe soon lifted the atmosphere. The owners, a large Italian man and his equally large wife were both friendly and generous. They immediately took and instant liking to Tony and Ziva, and were keen to ensure the children were well fed and happy. Tony's banana split with cream, two scoops of vanilla ice-cream, hot caramel fudge and nuts, soon became a triple scoop, double fudge, extra nut volcano with a banana hidden somewhere at the bottom. The look on Tony's face when the treat arrived was priceless. Even he wondered if he would be able to manage the whole thing.

Ziva's dessert was by no means lacking either. The Italian man's heart melted as he watched her smile and politely ask if she could 'please have a berry ice-cream cone with raspberry sauce drizzled over the top'. And, when her dessert arrived, it had suddenly transformed into a bowl consisting of 3 large scoops of berry ice-cream, smothered in a raspberry jus, a handful of actual mixed berries added in and, because there was no other place to put it, a cone balanced on top looking like a witch's hat. Gibbs, embarrassed by the extra large serves had offered the man more money but he would have none of it.

"It is just so lovely to see a family sharing in each other's love," he said, speaking in a heavy Italian accent. "I am happy to do this for you, please enjoy."

Gibbs and Jenny had both expressed their thanks and, having ordered coffees for themselves they made their way over to one of the red booths. Realising that they were probably going to end up finishing Tony and Ziva's desserts, they had refrained from ordering any of their own. Although, Gibbs had to admit, he was impressed with the effort both children made in order to finish their treats and, had they not had milkshakes to get through as well, he felt sure they would have been quite successful in cleaning both their plates!

About ten minutes into the evening, the Italian owner came to their tables and refilled Gibbs and Jenny's coffee, insisting that they not pay for the refill. Seeing that Tony's dessert was a little lacking in cream, he returned and squirted another stream of it onto the ice-cream.

"There you go," he said as he added the cream.

"Grazie," replied Tony automatically.

"Ahh, you speak Italian," the man said, beaming, if possibly, even wider than he already was.

"Si," replied Tony. "Parlo poco Italiano," he added. (I speak a little Italian)

Gibbs and Jenny sat there stunned. They knew that adult Tony spoke Italian but it hadn't occurred to them to wonder when he had actually learnt it.

"And who teaches you this beautiful language," the Italian man asked Tony. "Your Papa?" he said, looking at Gibbs, then turning to Jenny he added, "Or your Mamma?"

Gibbs smiled at the man.

"Tony is our adopted son," he explained, thinking of the easiest explanation. "His original family were Italian. It was them who taught Tony to speak Italian."

"Ah, Si," the gentleman acknowledged. "And bella Bambina," he said referring to Ziva, "Does she speak Italian too?"

Gibbs was about to say no, when Ziva spoke up, "Si," she answered clearly. "Parlo molto bene Italiano." (I speak Italian very well)

"Ah, Si," said the man nodding his head.

"Parlo anche francese e ebraico," Ziva added as she scooped up some berry ice-cream.

When Gibbs looked questioningly at the man, he translated saying, "She says she also speaks French and Hebrew. A very clever bambina you have here. And such bellissimi bambini!" (Beautiful children)

"Thank you," acknowledged Gibbs.

"You are a very lucky man," the Italian said smiling at Gibbs. "You are blessed with bellissimi bambini and, your wife, she is bellissima," he said. "Almost as beautiful as my wife," he added putting his arms around the laughing woman next to him.

It had been almost eleven o'clock before they left the little shop. As they said their thanks, Gibbs and Jenny shuffled Tony and Ziva ahead of them into the cool night air but were stopped by the owner's wife when she handed each child a large bag of candy.

"Molte Grazie," they both replied, smiling widely.

"Prego," she said smiling. Standing arm in arm with her husband, they waved the family goodbye and Gibbs, Jenny, Tony and Ziva, walked along the street to their parked car.

As they drove back to NCIS in order for Jenny to collect her own car, Gibbs looked in the rear view mirror at both Tony and Ziva and wondered at how they never ceased to amaze him. It hadn't ever entered his mind that they would both have a second language, or third and fourth in Ziva's case, but it made sense. As adults, both were fluent in several languages, he had to assume some of those were learnt in childhood.

By the time Gibbs had pulled into his driveway, it was well past midnight. But, with the copious amounts of sugar still running through their systems, it had been one thirty before Tony and Ziva had finally settled for the night.

'No wonder they're both still asleep,' Gibbs thought as he sipped on his coffee.

His was jolted from his reminiscence by a loud cry from upstairs.

"Daddy!"

Stunned into action, Gibbs leapt from the chair and took the stairs two at a time.

"Daddy!" the voice came again, more urgently.

Panic setting in, he raced past Tony's room but was stopped when he heard, "In here!"

He backtracked and flew open Tony's door to see Ziva and Tony crouched on the floor, bent over something he couldn't see.

"What is it? What's wrong," he panted rushing over to them, his heart beating frantically.

"Tony won't give me back my liquorice!" Ziva yelled.

As he looked closer, Gibbs could see, the 'thing' both children were fighting over, were the bags of candy handed to them last night.

"What!" he said incredulously.

Grabbing Tony's hand and speaking through her teeth, Ziva repeated, "Tony won't give me back my liquorice!"

"For goodness sakes Ziva," began Gibbs crossly. "I thought there was an emergency!"

"There is!" she yelled, "Tony keeps stealing my candy!"

Taking a deep breath and sighing with relief, Gibbs crouched down in front of them. He took both bags of candy and was about to speak when Ziva yelled, "Hey, that's mine!"

"It's mine now!" he answered. "It's far too early for candy, you haven't even had breakfast yet. You can have these back later when it's a more appropriate time." He said, sounding a lot calmer than he felt.

"But that's not fair!" argued Ziva. "That nice lady gave them to us, not you!"

Gibbs could see that she was definitely still very tired from the previous evening and it wasn't going to take much to push her over the edge.

Talking gently, Gibbs tried the jovial approach. "Well how about we have some breakfast, then you can both get dressed and we can work some more on the tree house? How does that sound Tony?" Gibbs added, turning to Tony in the hopes of taking the attention away from Ziva.

"Can we have our candy back?" he asked.

"Later," Gibbs said.

"How much later?" asked Tony, wanting specifics again.

Glaring at him, Gibbs replied, "After lunch, that suit you?" he added sarcastically.

"I guess," replied a rather disgruntled Tony. "But put our names on them first. Ziva's already eaten some of hers."

Gibbs looked at Ziva sternly.

"Only some of the jelly beans and M &amp; Ms," she replied. "Tony took the liquorice before I could eat any of that."

"Only one piece, because you got three and I only got one." He argued.

"So!" she replied. "That's just my good luck isn't it?"

"I'd share with you if I had more of one thing," he said.

"You would not!" Ziva replied.

"Would too!" he retorted.

"Hey!" interrupted Gibbs speaking forcibly. "One more word I'll take the candy for good! Got it?" he asked looking at both children.

"Yes Sir," grumbled Tony. He stood up looking around for some clothes to put on.

"Ziva?" questioned Gibbs, still waiting for her response.

Crossing her arms defiantly, she huffed and replied, "That's not fair. They weren't given to you."

"I realise that, young lady," said Gibbs, getting slightly annoyed at her disrespect. "However, the way you are speaking to me right now, is not acceptable. You were given these as a gift last night and I am more than happy for you to eat them after lunch. Now, are you ready to go back to your own room and get dressed or am I going to have to put you in time out for disrespect?"

Thinking carefully over her options, Ziva said quietly. "Ok, I'll go and get dressed." She stood up and stomped out of the room. Shaking his head, Gibbs left as well and headed back down stairs. He figured he could be in for a long day.

When Ziva eventually joined Gibbs and Tony in the kitchen, she sat at the table and poured herself some cereal and milk.

"Daddy?" she asked as she began to eat her breakfast.

"Yes, pumpkin," Gibbs replied.

"Why do you and Jenny say that I'm being disrespectful when I'm just trying to explain why I have done something? I don't understand why that is being disrespectful."

"Well," replied Gibbs, sitting down at the table next to her. "I guess it's more about the way you say something rather than what you are saying. And sometimes, it's the fact that you argue when I have told you do so something. That can be seen as disrespectful as well."

"But I still don't understand," she said, a confused look on her face.

"OK," began Gibbs. "Let's look at earlier this morning. I had told you and Tony that it was too early for candy and that I would take them until later this afternoon. Now, instead of just accepting that, you continued fighting and arguing with Tony and then continued to argue with me."

"Yes, because you said you would take them for good and I didn't think that was fair," she explained.

"Well, you've probably got a point there. I guess I was cross that you and Tony continued arguing about the candy. So when I asked if you understood that I would take them if you continued arguing, I expected a simple yes, not an opinion as to whether that was fair or not."

"But Abba always said that I had to justify everything I ever did. Any decision I made, there had to be a reason for it. If I said, 'I don't know' the way Tony does sometimes, Abba would beat me for not having an answer."

"But Ziva, if I spoke to Senior the way you speak to Dad sometimes, I wouldn't be able to sit for a week!" interjected Tony.

"But that is silly. Abba always said that if I did something, I must always have a good reason why and I must always say that reason. Abba would sometimes do something that I thought was very unfair and he said it was to make me argue and state the reason why I thought it was unfair."

"How do you mean Ziva?" asked Gibbs curious about what she actually meant.

"Well," she thought carefully. "Last night, do you remember when I told you about Ari and me being in the forest and how Ari broke his leg and I went for help?"

Gibbs nodded. As if he'd ever forget something like that. He couldn't even imagine doing that to a five year old.

"Well, when I found Abba and told him about Ari, I was crying because I was scared for Ari and a little scared for me because it was a difficult path to find my way out of the forest. Abba asked me why I was crying and I said I was scared for Ari. Abba slapped me hard across the face and yelled saying that I should not have left Ari there. I didn't say anything and Abba slapped me again and said, 'tell me why you left your brother?' I looked at him and he… he slapped me again and he said, 'you must fight for your reasons, you must justify why you have taken this action'."

She hung her head and looked into her cereal bowl. Tony sat stunned, spoon suspended between his bowl and mouth as he listened to her story.

"Go on," said Gibbs gently. "What happened next?"

"So I told him that Ari couldn't walk and we needed help. He said that was a ridiculous reason, that there were ways to get around that, we just hadn't used our brains. When I looked down because I felt ashamed, he…he…punched me and yelled that I must defend myself, I must get angry and justify why I took this action. So I did. I yelled and said that he was being mean and unfair and that Ari and I needed his help and all he could do was hurt me."

She looked up at Gibbs. "He was proud of me then, he said I was very good to fight back and show no fear towards him even though he was much bigger than me."

"Did he help you Zi?" asked Tony, hoping there was some sort of happy ending to this horror tale.

She shook her head. "No, he…he hurt me and made me go back into the forest to find Ari and bring him home. He told me that I must never give up on any mission no matter how hard it is. And that he would make it ten times harder if I ever left Ari again or gave up."

"How did he hurt you Ziva?" asked Gibbs, not really sure he wanted to know that answer.

"Huh?" she asked looking at him.

"You said, he hurt you and made you go back. How did he hurt you?" Gibbs clarified.

She continued to look down into her cereal bowl and didn't answer. "It doesn't matter," she eventually said.

"Yes it does. Tell me Ziva," encouraged Gibbs.

"You'll get angry," she argued. "Plus I am ashamed that Abba felt he had to take such measures because I was so weak."

"Ziva," said Gibbs, putting his hand on her leg gently. "I will never get angry at you for something someone did to you. If I seem angry then it's because I am angry at what your Abba did to you, not for anything you did. And you do not need to feel ashamed for any action you took to help another person. There is nothing shameful in that. You were not weak. I don't know of many adults that could have done what you did, let alone a five year old."

"Four," she said. "I was four when this happened."

"So what did he do to you Ziva?" asked Gibbs again.

"He made it so it would be harder for me to help Ari, to teach me that it would have been better if I had just stayed with him in the first place."

"Yes, I know, but what did he do,"

"He…he…twisted my arm until it broke. He said that if Ari has a broken leg, then I must suffer a broken arm to make it just as difficult. I had two good legs and Ari would have two good arms."

"Oh God Zi," exclaimed Tony. He dropped his spoon into his bowl and the clatter made everyone jump. "I want to kill him Dad. I want to make him suffer for what he did." The anger in Tony was so raw that Gibbs felt that, had Eli David stood in front of them at that moment, the ten year old would indeed have killed him. Mind you, he would have to line up for the privilege thought Gibbs ruefully.

"No Tony," said Ziva shaking her head. "He was teaching me. He was making me strong."

"But don't you hate him Ziva?" Tony asked incredulously. "I do. Don't you hate him for what he did?"

"No!" said Ziva, truly shocked at Tony's words. "I cannot hate him, he is my father. I must respect him. To hate him is to show the greatest disrespect. He was teaching me to be strong, to withstand pain. I must honour him and the path he chose for me."

Gibbs was stunned. No wonder she had a screwed up idea of what disrespect was. Here he was, trying to teach her that arguing with him was disrespectful when her idea of disrespect was to hate the man who tortured her. Suddenly his insular world seemed like a fairy-tale existence. She had literally walked through hell by the time she was five years old and he was worried that she answered him back! It was ridiculous. A part of him felt like laughing hysterically at how absurd this was.

"Daddy?" she called softly. "Are you ashamed of me?"

Gathering himself together for her sake, he tried to pretend his world hadn't just fallen apart.

"No Ziva. Never! I will never be ashamed of you." He tried to make his voice sound light and casual. "Thank you for telling me that. I know it was hard for you. But Sweetheart, you did nothing wrong. There is nothing for you to feel ashamed about. You were incredibly brave and you and Ari got out didn't you?"

"Yes, Daddy, we did. It was tricky but we did it!" She grinned at him.

"Well done!" he praised. He felt ludicrous praising her for this, but to try and explain how insurmountably abhorrent her story had been would not serve any purpose. She had lived that horror. He could never take that away. His only course of action was to give her a glimpse of a normal childhood, one where a misdemeanour might result in a time-out not a broken arm. He shuddered. He could never forget that. For as long as he lived, the horror of those words would stay with him forever.

Taking a deep breath and gathering his thoughts, Gibbs said to her. "Ziva, you have lived a very different life to Tony and me. So I can understand why you feel confused when I tell you something is disrespectful. I'm very pleased you asked that question because now I have an understanding of why you say and do the things that I sometimes get cross at you for. I will try very hard to explain to you when you are being disrespectful to help you understand what I mean. It will probably seem very silly to you, but I hope over time you will learn to trust me enough to know that I will never hurt you the way your Abba did. That I don't expect you to have to justify anything to me and that I love you regardless of what you say or do."

She nodded her head in understanding. "So we can still have our candy back?" she asked.

He laughed. Oh my god, he thought. She had just finished telling him that her father would break her arm to 'even up the injury score' with her brother and here she was worried about a bag of candy. He shook his head in amazement.

"Why are you laughing at me," she asked indignantly.

"Never mind," he answered, "Yes, Ziva, after lunch, you and Tony can have your candy back."

"That's good," she said. "Although Tony still owes me a liquorice," she pointed out.

"Zi, you can have all my liquorice. Geez, you have all my candy," said Tony.

"Really?" she asked her eyes opening wide.

"Um….no," he replied thinking about it. "But you can definitely have my liquorice."

"OK," she answered as she picked up her spoon. And without another word, she began to eat her breakfast.

As a federal investigator, Gibbs had been witness to some incredibly horrific scenes. He thought he'd never be surprised at the ways human beings chose to torture and kill each other. But Ziva's words had rocked his existence. Maybe it was because she seemed so grounded, so 'normal' when she spoke of the horrors she had experienced, maybe it was because she didn't seem to acknowledge that anything out of the ordinary had happened? Gibbs couldn't quite put his finger on it. All he knew was that his precious girl had suffered as no child should. He had already taken the life of one man who had torn his family apart. He was so tempted to do it again. But he knew that Tony and Ziva needed him here, not in a prison cell. So as much as tearing Eli David apart was tempting, he summoned up all his strength and tried to put what he'd heard that morning behind him.

That became increasingly difficult however, when a knock at the door revealed a rather sombre looking Ducky.

"Hey Duck, what's up?" he asked as he led the M.E. into his house.

"Where are Tony and Ziva?" asked Ducky abruptly, as he entered the kitchen and place a very large envelope on the table.

"Outside. Why? Do you want to see them?" asked Gibbs.

"No Jethro," replied Ducky. "I wish to speak with you privately. We have a problem with some of the results from last night."

Taking a seat at the table, Gibbs said, "Go on."

"Well firstly, I'd like to put your mind at rest about Tony. It would appear that the regression has also regressed their medical history so to speak. His lungs are perfectly normal. There is no trace of any scarring at all. I had a quick look at his medical records and noted that Tony did not receive any major injuries or breaks by the age of ten and this is consistent with his scans." He smiled at Gibbs who returned the gesture.

"However," he continued. "I can't say the same for Ziva. I'm actually at a bit of a loss as to her results. As I said to you yesterday, I had managed to get hold of her medical history from various sources and, from the files, I could see that she also, had not received any major breaks or injuries up until the age of nine when she sustained a fairly significant head injury which required hospitalisation."

Gibbs cringed. He didn't even want to begin to think how she might have acquired that injury.

"However, the scans we took yesterday, tell a whole different story," continued Ducky. He took out several large images and held one up to the light.

"If you look closely at this one Jethro, you can see here," he pointed to a small fracture just below the elbow, "that Ziva has sustained a broken arm and, judging by the healing process, it would have been around twelve months ago. As in, twelve months previous to her age now, so when she was four. And this one," he held up a scan of what looked like her hips, "shows a badly replaced hip dislocation. I would say, the hip has been damaged at some point and hasn't healed properly. Interestingly I did find in a later report that she had an operation on her hip following a break when she was eleven. I'm assuming the dislocation was fixed then. It's not enough to cause her any discomfort at the age she is now, but it would certainly have caused problems if it hadn't been fixed before she entered puberty."

Putting that image down, Ducky picked up a third. "Now, if you look at this one, this shows another dislocation, but this time of the shoulder. It's been put back in place quite well, but there is still some tearing of the muscle and ligaments which are in the process of healing. I would say this injury has taken place about four to six months ago. That is, four to six months prior to the age she is now. Again, it wouldn't be causing her any problems, but you can see the healing process is still taking place."

He put all three images down on the table.

"Now what concerns, or confuses me Jethro, is that there are no records of any of these injuries taking place. I double checked and apparently I have received all hospital records and doctor's visits ever assigned to a Ziva David with her birth date and address. I can only assume therefore, that she never received any medical treatment for these injuries. And, I'm afraid Jethro, that does not sit well with me."

"Ah Duck," sighed Gibbs. "You have no idea."

As Gibbs stood and took down Ducky's tea pot ready to make the man a strong pot of tea, he said, "Dr Mallard, let me fill you in on the kind of life our Miss David has endured in her short five years. I hope you have a strong stomach."

Twenty minutes later, a sickened Ducky sat stunned as he tried to comprehend what Gibbs had just told him.

"My God!" he exclaimed. "Well that certainly explains the broken arm. That poor, poor child. That man should be hung drawn and quartered," said Ducky angrily. "And that would be too good for him!"

"I agree," said Gibbs. "But we can't let Ziva see that anger. She doesn't see his actions the same way we do. In her eyes, he was teaching her. She even expressed gratitude that she should honour this path he chose for her."

Ducky just shook his head in disbelief.

Suddenly remembering what Ducky had said, Gibbs asked, "So should I do something about the hip? Have it seen to?"

"No, it will be fine," answered Ducky. "If she hadn't had it seen to when she was eleven, I would say yes. But we don't know what effect it would have on her body having it seen to now. Her cell memory knows it will be fixed at age eleven. We don't want to confuse it by having it dealt with when she's five."

"Good point," agreed Gibbs. "It's all so confusing."

"Yes," said Ducky. "Certainly nothing I've ever come across before."

On hearing the sounds of Ziva and Tony, running on the patio just before entering the kitchen, Ducky quickly gathered up the images and placed them back in the large envelope he had brought. He had just managed to put the envelope down by his chair, when two very excited children rushed into the room.

"Hi Ducky," greeted Tony cheerfully.

"Good morning, young man," replied Ducky, smiling at the boy as he sat at the table. Then looking at his watch, he amended, "Oh, actually it's good afternoon." He laughed. "You look like you've been having fun?"

"We have Ducky," said Ziva as she sat around the other side of the table. Noticing the envelop she exclaimed, "Wow! You must write huge letters Ducky. I don't think I've ever seen an envelope that big before. It must need a lot of stamps!"

"Yes my dear," laughed Ducky. "I imagine it would." He chose not to explain the presence of the envelope any further and distracted them by saying, "So what have you been up to?"

"We've been playing in our new tree house," answered Tony. "We still have to finish the climbing fort but the house is looking really good. Ziva wants to paint it purple though. I think that will look dumb."

Seeing Ziva's scowl, Gibbs quickly changed the subject and said, "How about you two go and wash your hands ready for lunch?"

"Yes!" said Ziva, getting up from the table. "Then we can have our candy back!" She disappeared into the living room and Gibbs soon heard the sound of little feet running up the stairs.

He rolled his eyes. An elephant's memory he thought to himself.

Seeing Ducky out the door, Gibbs said, "Thanks Duck. It's been a difficult time hearing some of the stories she has to tell. It's nice to share the pain with someone."

"Yes, I can't even imagine what she's been through," the M.E. responded. "I do think you'd be wise filling in our Director with what you have found out though Jethro. If for no other reason than to help her understand a little of why our young Miss David does the things she does."

"Yeah, I plan on calling her this afternoon," replied Gibbs. "She needs to know anything I find out about these two. She has a lot to do with them and, knowing their backgrounds certainly helps to have an understanding of the motivation behind many of their actions."

"Yes, I'm sure she is having quite an influence on them," Ducky replied, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I think it's quite serendipitous that the two of you are working together to ensure these two have the best experience they can. Keep up the good work Jethro," he added, patting Gibbs on the shoulder.

Rolling his eyes at yet another attempt of a hint at their relationship, Gibbs smiled and said, "Thanks Duck, I'll be seeing ya,"

"Yes, bye Jethro," replied Ducky grinning.

As Gibbs shut the door, he was greeted by the sound of little feet running down the stairs.

"So," he said to Tony and Ziva as they stood in front of him. "What would you like for lunch?"

"Candy!" they both yelled.

"Agh!" groaned Gibbs."Candy! That's all I've heard from you two today. Anyone would think you never see the stuff!"

"We don't," replied Tony. "We are poor deprived children who lack for sugary treats. We have to take what we can get."

"Really?" said Gibbs. "You poor things! I guess I should ration it then seeing as you never taste the stuff. Wouldn't wanna overload ya systems now would I?"

"Shut up Tony," hissed Ziva. "At this rate we'll be lucky to see a single piece."

Gibbs smiled as he walked on ahead, but faulted when he heard Ziva say quietly, "But don't worry Tony. I know where Daddy hid it, and I can climb up there easily. I don't think Daddy realises just how good I am at climbing."

'He does now!' thought Gibbs and made a mental note to have a little chat with Miss David about the virtues of leaving well enough alone!


	25. Boys and Girls Come Out to Play - Part 1

**AN - Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews. I appreciate you taking the time. Just a quick point. I realise there are many, many Tony fans out there and, while I am one of them I also love the character of Ziva. I find her incredibly complex and multi faceted. I am trying to give equal time to both characters but if I tend to sway towards Ziva more that is probably because I feel she had so many more issues to deal with. They both had difficult childhoods, I'm not denying that, but, in my opinion, I believe Ziva has struggled incredibly simply because of the life she was thrown into. As she once said to Tony, "Where I come from you were forced to grow up quickly." As a Mossad officer her life expectancy was not overly high, again confirmed when she said to Gibbs, "All the good ones are dead at your age." I love exploring both these characters, but there will be times when Ziva is more of the focus. I won't apologise for that.**

**Secondly, this isn't a 'jibbs' story. There will be a short 'segue' story between this and the vacation epic which will see Jenny and Gibbs get together. The focus of this story is to bring Ziva and Tony to a point where you as the readers have a good understanding of their backgrounds and the motivations behind their actions. That being said, this story is just about finished. **

**Thanks again for reading and taking the time to review. My intention is not to offend anyone but to simply explain where my focus is.**

**This Chapter is part 1 of a two parts**

Chapter 25

The rest of the week progressed without too much fuss. Wednesday saw Gibbs, Tony and Ziva working on the climbing frame between the tree house and the Silver Ash. By the end of the day, the children could climb the ash by way of metal pegs and work their way across the frame to the tree house. Gibbs had also suspended four ropes at equal intervals from the climbing frame, so they could also descend or ascend without having to use either the tree house or the metal pegs. Overall, Gibbs was quite please with their efforts and was quick to pass on the praise to Tony and Ziva.

Wednesday evening as he was finishing off the final rope, Gibbs looked up to see Ziva sitting on the roof of the tree house. He didn't say anything, but watched carefully as she reached up several times and touched the purple paint mark with her fingers. He knew what would be coming next, but he just waited patiently. Sure enough, after about five minutes he heard, "Daddy?"

"Mmmm," he answered, a nail between his lips preventing him from speaking.

"Look Daddy?" Ziva said.

Gibbs hammered the nail in and then stopped to look up at her.

"Yes, what it is?" he asked.

"Well, look how close the paint is now. If I sit on the roof, I can touch it with my fingers. Could we maybe make this paint mark a little higher?"

Gibbs walked over to the tree house and climbed the ladder so he was standing on the balcony of the house and looking over the roof where she sat.

"See Daddy? The tree house is kind of like moving the ground. If we made just this one a little bit higher it wouldn't be dangerous because the house is here." She looked at him, sure of her logic.

"Oh, so instead of crashing to the ground, you would bounce off the roof of the house first, cracking your skull, maybe hit the balcony and then fall to the ground?" he replied.

Her look of absolute distain almost had him laughing out loud. "Daddy, pleeeeease," she begged. "I'm very careful, I won't fall!"

He had to admit, from what he had learned about her in the past couple of weeks, his limitations on the tree climbing did seem a little unreasonable.

"Ok," he said. Her face suddenly lit up with joy. "Hang on," he cautioned. "You need to listen very carefully first."

She nodded with such enthusiasm he thought her head might fall off.

"I agree with you. Having listened to some of the things you have told me recently, I think you are probably very capable of climbing higher than this and still remain safe. So," he drew out the word enjoying the expectant look on her face. "I will go around with some green paint and make some new marks. They won't be all the way to the top, but I might add another six foot to the purple marks. That's like two more of you. OK?"

She flung herself into his arms, nearly sending the pair of them hurtling to the ground.

"Thank you, Daddy! Thank you!" she squealed.

He kissed her cheek then said, "But listen very carefully young lady."

She sat still and looked earnestly into his eyes.

"I need you to promise me you will not go any higher than the new green marks. If you do, you will not only get the promised spanking but all the green marks will disappear and you'll be stuck with the purple ones again. Understood?"

"Yes Daddy. I promise, cross my heart and hope to die," she said completing the infamous action as she spoke.

He laughed. "Did Tony teach you that?"

"Ah huh!" she replied, nodding her head.

"Well we don't need to call for such drastic measures, but I'm pleased to hear you promise. I feel sure that you will keep that promise," he said smiling at her.

"Oh I will Daddy. Promises are very important. They are like bonds of trust. You don't break them," she said sincerely.

"You're right," he acknowledged. "That's exactly what they are."

As Gibbs put her down, she asked, "So when will you make the new marks?"

"Tomorrow," he answered.

"Cross your heart?"

"Well, I won't do that because if it rains or there's an emergency I might not get to it. But I will do everything in my power to get to it tomorrow. Is that good enough?" he asked smiling.

"I guess," she said sighing.

True to his word, Thursday morning, Gibbs ensured every climbing tree had a new green mark to indicate a higher level for her to climb. Tony was quite impressed with this new development and wasn't sure if even he could master a couple of them. He watched as Ziva scaled to the green mark on the oak.

"This is excellent Daddy! Thank you," she called as she sat happily on the branch. He smiled. It was lovely to have something they didn't have to fight over. She seemed very content with her new limitations and he was pleased that she had brought it up. Sometimes, it just took a little compromise from both parties he thought.

By Friday lunchtime, they had almost completed the second climbing frame from the ash to the smaller oak. This one had been much simpler as it mainly consisted of metal rungs so that they could swing their way across. The only thing left to do now was the tyre swing. Gibbs hoped to complete this by the end of the weekend.

"Well, we'd better pack up," said Gibbs looking at his watch. It was one o'clock in the afternoon.

"Why?" questioned both Tony and Ziva.

"We're almost finished," added Tony. "Why can't we keep going?"

"We have to get to the market this afternoon. We have virtually no food in the house and trying to shop on the weekend just isn't working." Gibbs reasoned.

"Who needs food?" groaned Tony.

"You!" said Gibbs incredulously. "The boy with the bottomless pit for a stomach!" he added.

Tony grinned. "Can't we shop tomorrow and just get take-out tonight?"

"Nope!" said Gibbs firmly. "We've got other plans tomorrow."

"What?" asked Ziva.

"Surprise," answered Gibbs mysteriously.

"Oh Dad," whined Tony. "I hate surprises. Can't you just tell us?"

"Nope," Gibbs repeated.

"I know how we can get him to talk," said Ziva quietly to Tony. "Watch this."

She suddenly grabbed Gibbs' hand and pressed firmly in the joint between his thumb and index finger.

"Ouch! Ziva!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Pressing on your pressure point. It's an interrogation technique Abba showed me. It will make you talk," she said smugly.

"You know what else it will make me do?" he asked advancing on her.

"What?" she giggled backing away.

"This!" he said as he scooped her up and began to tickle her.

"Ah! No! Let me go!" she squealed.

He stopped tickling her and put her down on the ground.

"Seriously though Ziva," Gibbs began. "I don't want you doing that to other people. It's very painful and there's no need to interrogate someone here"

"But what about Tony, when he's annoying me?" She asked looking over at Tony who stood, opened mouthed and horrified at the thought.

"Especially not Tony or anyone else in our family," Gibbs replied firmly. "If Tony is annoying you, you come and see me OK?"

"But pressure points are far more effective," she replied grinning.

"No!" he said firmly. "No pressure point interrogations. I mean it Ziva."

"OK," she said sighing. "You spoil all my fun."

Looking at Gibbs Tony suddenly said, "Um, do you think she means that?"

"She better!" replied Gibbs looking sternly at Ziva.

Grinning wickedly, Ziva sauntered off in the direction of the house, leaving Tony to ponder how safe he was in his own home.

"Don't worry Bud," Gibbs said, seeing the apprehensive look on Tony's face. "I don't think she'll hurt you."

"You don't think?" repeated Tony. "I'd like a little more assurance than 'you don't think', thank you very much!"

Gibbs laughed and, collecting the tools they'd been using he and Tony entered the kitchen after Ziva.

By nine thirty that evening, Gibbs was seriously regretting having ever mentioned the surprise on Saturday. He was almost beginning to feel like he was married again, Tony and Ziva nagged him so much. In the end, he'd threatened brussel sprouts for a week to the next person who mentioned the word surprise, to which Tony then asked, "So what's the wonderful unknown activity we are having tomorrow Dad?"

"Tony DiNozzo," Gibbs said in mock sternness. "Would you like to see what happens to little boys who push their father's to insanity?"

"I would!" piped up Ziva. "Go on Tony, ask again."

"Right! Bed! Both of you!" exclaimed Gibbs giving up on trying to reason with them.

"But Daaaad!" they both whined.

"No buts, it's nine thirty and you both have a big day tomorrow," he began, clapping his hands to get them moving.

"How big?" asked Ziva.

"Really big!" he answered. "Come on, upstairs. Quickly."

By ten o'clock he finally had them both in bed and, while not necessary asleep, they were quiet and had stopped nagging him at least. Figuring he also had a big day tomorrow, he finished tidying the kitchen and headed to bed himself. As he past the basement door, he laughed to himself. No more all-nighters in there, he thought. And he had to admit, he hadn't missed it in the slightest.

At 5am his senses were assaulted when both Tony and Ziva ran into his room and leapt on the bed.

"Omph!" he exclaimed when Ziva's knee landed in a particularly delicate spot. "Careful where you're putting that knee Ziva!" he growled.

Ignoring him, she bounced on the bed singing, "Time to get up! Time to get up! Up! Up! Time to get up!" As she began round two Tony joined in.

"Agh!" groaned Gibbs. "Enough!" He closed his eyes again.

Leaning right over him, Ziva spread open his eyelid and said, "Good morning Daddy, are you awake yet?"

"No," he replied, "I'm still fast asleep." And to prove his point he started snoring loudly.

Looking at each other and grinning, Ziva and Tony launched a tickle attack. Ziva went for the ribs, while Tony dived under the covers head first and tackled the feet. Grabbing Ziva with one hand and balancing her on her tummy in the air, Gibbs used the other hand to throw back the covers revealing Tony attacking his feet, the only thing visible was his bottom sticking up enticingly. Gibbs couldn't resist. He landed a sharp smack to Tony's backside and the boy leapt around shouting, "Hey! No fair!"

"All's fair in love and war," replied Gibbs laughing and setting Ziva down.

"So Daddy," said Ziva, as she bounced on his legs. "What's the big surprise?"

"Ugh!" Gibbs groaned. "I guess I'm going to have to tell you now aren't I?"

"Yep," the children said together.

"Ok, well today we are going to have boy and girl only days." He began.

"Huh?" asked Ziva.

"What?" asked Tony.

"Boy and girl only days," repeated Gibbs. "In a couple of hours, Jenny, Abby and Tim are going to come around. Then for the first half of today we will go to the Kid's Fun Centre to play laser tag, girls against boys!"

"Woohoo!" shouted Tony. "How cool is that! We're gonna cream you girls!"

"We shall see," replied Ziva smugly.

"Then," continued Gibbs speaking to Ziva. "You, Jenny and Abby will go and do some girlie things, tonight you will stay at Jenny's, then she will bring you back tomorrow in time for the family barbecue. How does that sound?"

"Yay!" she squealed. "That sounds fantastic! What are we going to do?"

"Girlie stuff," said Gibbs.

"Yeah, but what kind of girlie stuff?" she asked again.

"I don't know. Do I look like a girl?" Gibbs asked scornfully.

"Hmmm, maybe? If we put the top part of your hair up in a pony tail," she said giggling as she tried to put the short strands of hair into pigtails.

"What about me Dad, what are we going to do?" asked Tony.

"Well after the Laser Tag we will stay at the Fun Centre for a bit longer and maybe go on some of the rides, the dodgem cars, the arcade, stuff like that. Then tonight we'll be having pizza for tea and maybe watch a movie. Tim will be staying the night. Tomorrow morning, the three of us will finish working on the climbing frame and tyre swing and by that time we'll be ready for the barbecue.

"Cool" exclaimed Tony.

Both children bounced excitedly on their knees. Gibbs smiled at their faces. He had been planning this weekend with Jenny for over a week now and it was fun to finally share it with them. He had been looking forward to it so much and he was just as excited as Tony and Ziva to see the day finally arrive.

"So," he said. "I suggest you put on some clothes that are loose fitting and suited to running around. It's going to be warm today so make sure you have t-shirts on." As both children jumped off the bed and were about to run out the room Gibbs called out. "Oh Ziva, Jenny said to pack something pretty for tonight. Apparently you are going out for a fancy dinner or something, ok?"

"Ok Daddy," she replied. "Wow, a fancy dinner. That's better than pizza!" she exclaimed.

Tony scrunched his nose, "Getting dressed up all frilly and having to be polite and stuff? Yuck! Give me pizza any day!" he said.

'Uh uh!" said Ziva. "Mine is much better."

"No way," argued Tony. "Mine is better."

As they left the room bickering about who would have the better day, Gibbs smiled. It would appear he and Jenny had planned this well.

Right on the dot of nine o'clock, Abby and Tim walked through the door followed by Jenny. They barely had chance to step through the entry when Tony and Ziva launched at them excitedly.

"Yay! You're finally here!" yelled Ziva. "We've been waiting ages and ages!" she groaned.

Jenny reached down and hugged the little girl tightly saying, "We said zero nine hundred and that's what it is now." She looked at her watch for clarification.

"Oh you're fine," said Gibbs, greeting the trio. "It's just these two have been up since zero five hundred and there's only so many times you can pack a bag and decide what clothes you are going to wear." He rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Difficult morning?" said Jenny quietly as she passed Gibbs and ran her hand over his cheek.

"Nah, just an excited one," he replied, smiling at her.

"So my munchkins," said Abby happily as she group hugged Tony and Ziva. "Are you ready for the best day of your lives?"

When there was no response Gibbs said, "You may want to release them Abs, otherwise they'll have no life for it to be the best day of!"

Letting go, Abby looked down at the bright red faces as Tony and Ziva panted to get their breath back.

"Wow, Abby! You give really squishy hugs," said Tony, touching his face to get feeling back into his cheeks.

'Yep, best hugger this side of Jefferson Country!" she said.

Walking up to Tim, Tony hi-fived him saying, "Hey Tim, you ready to cream these girls in laser tag?"

"You betcha!" replied Tim. "They don't stand a chance."

"Hmph!" replied Ziva and Jenny indignantly while Abby punched Tim in the arm.

"Alright everyone, back to your own corners," called Gibbs before a full scale fight ensued. "Now Ziva, you won't be coming back here, so make sure you have everything you need."

"I do Daddy," she replied, running to the stairs and picking up her Dora the Explorer back pack. "I've got everything I need in here," she added patting the pack before putting it on her back.

"Ok, then, let's go," said Gibbs as he started to shuffle everyone out the door.

After fitting Ziva's car seat into Jenny vehicle, the girls clambered in while the boys jumped into Gibbs' car. They figured they would start the day in true boy and girl only fashion.

As they arrived at the Fun Park, Gibbs let Abby and Tim go on ahead while he and Jenny remained behind to have a quick word with Tony and Ziva.

"Ok," said Gibbs, once he had the children's attention. "Ground rules. Now this weekend is going to be lots of fun, but there are a couple of things you both need to know so that everyone can enjoy themselves."

"We know," said Tony rolling his eyes. "Stay with you or Jenny at all times, don't leave your line of vision, listen to what you say, be polite and respectful…"

"Hang on Tony," said Ziva looking a little confused. "We can't stay with them when we play laser tag. That's the whole point, we have to hide and sneak around."

"True," remarked Tony looking equally confused.

"How about you hear what I have to say," interjected Gibbs, looking down at both children who were now wondering how they were going to succeed at laser tag if they had to be in an adult's line of vision.

"When we are in an enclosed space like the Laser Tag room, you can move about freely but you do not leave the area. If you need to go to the bathroom you ask either me or Jenny. Other than that, you had the other points pretty spot on. Well done." Gibbs said smiling at Tony who beamed at the praise.

"Now," continued Gibbs. "Abby and Tim are also in charge today so you need to listen carefully to them as well."

Both Tony and Ziva nodded then Ziva opened her mouth and raised her finger but was stopped by Gibbs who said, "And yes, they know they aren't allowed to spank you," He smiled as she closed her mouth and nodded her head in satisfaction. "Not that I think that will be a problem today," he added grinning at her.

"And finally," he said. Both children rolled their eyes. "There is one more very important rule." He looked at them very seriously.

"What?" asked Tony and Ziva trying to think what other rule they might have missed.

"You need to have lots of fun today!" said Gibbs laughing at them.

"Oh, I think we can obey that rule!" said Tony. "Come on Dad, can we go in now?"

"Yep, let's go!" Gibbs said, opening the door to let them through.

Once they had bought their tickets and were seated in the entry to the laser tag room, a young girl in her late teens stepped out of the side door. She pushed a trolley which was filled with jackets and laser guns.

"Hey guys and gals," she said cheerfully as she looked around at the little group. "There are two coloured Jackets, red and blue and coloured guns to match. You need to divide into two teams.

"Already done," said Tony. "It's boys against girls and the boys are gonna win,"

"Uh uh!" retorted Ziva,

"Shhh," said Gibbs. "Just listen to the instructions first."

The young girl smiled at the group then continued. "Each jacket," she began, holding up one of the jackets. "has five lights on it. Every time you get hit with an opposing team's laser, one of your lights will go out. When all five lights are out, then so are you!"

Picking up one of the guns she continued, "The guns are designed so that if you hit someone successfully both your gun and their's won't work for five seconds. This gives both of you a chance to move away and hide before the next attack." She put the gun back in the trolley.

"Each session lasts for thirty minutes or until all players are out. The computer records each hit and announces the winner when the session is over. The winner is determined by who is the last person standing. Any questions?"

"What about if we steal their guns so they can't shoot?" asked Ziva. "How will you know the winner then? Because they may still have lights on their jacket, but if I have stolen their guns then they can't shoot anymore."

The girl stared at Ziva. This was obviously a question she hadn't been asked before. Gibbs came to her rescue.

"Ziva," he said turning the little girl so she was looking directly at him. "This is a non-contact game. You are not allowed to steal your opponent's guns."

"But Daddy," she began.

"No Ziva, it's not allowed. Besides, if we allowed that, how would the rest of us have any chance at winning, you'd have all our guns and probably have us tied up as well!" he added playfully.

"So true Daddy!" she said nodding her head. "Ok, to be fair, I will keep my hands to myself."

"And feet," added Gibbs. He knew how her mind worked.

"Oh!" she said crossly.

"Lasers only, got it?" he said sternly just in case she was thinking of other body parts she could use.

"Got it," she replied disappointed that she couldn't use some of the tactic she had been taught.

Having watched the exchange, the assistant simply stood there, not really sure what to do next. This was a strange lot to be sure, she thought to herself.

"So can we start?" asked Tony, getting sick of waiting.

"Ah, yeah, sure," the girl replied, trying to regain control. "So who's going to be red?"

"Us!" shouted Ziva and Abby.

"So that will make you guys blue then," said girl, stating the obvious.

"You sure?" asked Tony playing with the girl's obvious discomfort.

"Tony," warned Gibbs, looking at the young boy sternly.

"Sorry Dad," said Tony dropping his head but still grinning to himself.

Once everyone was in their jackets and had been given a gun, they walked into the laser tag room.

"Oh wow!" exclaimed Tony as he looked at all the lights. The room was completely dark except for the many lit props that served as hiding places. There were painted polystyrene caves, boulders, poles and boxes dotted all around the room. Each item was lit up with blue and red so as to confuse people as to whether it was a person or a prop.

"Ok, for the first round you have unlimited laser shots, so if you hit an object it won't matter," the young girl explained once everyone was in the room. "However, the next round we make it harder by limiting how many shots you have in your gun. That way you will focus on hitting people rather than just shooting at anything. In a minute I will ask all of you to find a hiding spot. Then you need to listen to the overhead voice. It will tell you when the game has begun and who is still in and out. Each jacket has a number, have a look now to see which number you are."

They all did. Ziva and Tony were number 1, Jenny and Gibbs were number 2 and Abby and Tim were number 3.

"When you are out, the voice over will tell the group who is no longer playing. It will say blue 2 is out or whichever one it is. Ok, are you ready?"

"Yes!" they all chorused.

"Ok, find a hiding spot. You have 10 seconds." The girl then exited the room. As she shut the door, the only lights that could be seen were those on the props and jackets.

As each person ran to a hiding spot, the waited expectantly for the game to begin.

Suddenly a deep booming voice proclaimed, "The battle between the tribes had been fought for centuries. But now, you are the last surviving warriors. It is up to you to save your people from total annihilation. On my command, step forth and wage the war that your ancestors began. Good luck warriors and may you find success. Begin!"

All around them the lights began flashing, streaks of blue and red confused their senses. Emerging from his hiding spot, Tony surveyed his surrounds. To his left he could see Gibbs, peering from behind a large boulder. To his right, the way was clear. He stepped cautiously forward, his gun held in position. A figure moved to his left and he ducked down. Looking carefully he could see the bouncing pigtails of Abby. Creeping towards her, he lifted his gun and fired. Suddenly the voice boomed. "Red 3, you have taken a hit,"

"Rats!" he heard Abby exclaim. "Who did that?"

Ducking down behind a boulder, Tony saw Gibbs give him the thumbs up. Grinning widely, he peeked around the other side. Seeing a second figure, advancing to his left, he was about to take aim when he saw it was Tim. Lowering his gun, he turned in the opposite direction and came face to face with Ziva who fired at him.

"Blue 1 you have taken a hit."

Lifting his gun to fire back he wondered why nothing was happening then remembered he had to wait five seconds between shots, he ran away from her and, finding a nearby cave he took refuge.

"Red 2 you have taken a hit," called the overhead voice.

That's Jenny, he thought to himself. I wonder who got that one in. As he looked around, he saw Gibbs creeping towards him a huge grin on his face. Well that answers that question, Tony thought.

Twenty feet away from Tony, Tim and Abby were engaging in a game of cat and mouse. Having spied each other, they were currently circling a large boulder. Then without warning Tim doubled back and got Abby from behind.

"Red 3 you have taken a hit."

No sooner had the message been said when it was followed by, "Blue 3, you have taken a hit."

Tim stopped and looked at Abby. He knew it couldn't have been her as it was less than five seconds since he had hit her. Shrugging his shoulders, he made to move away when he heard again, "Blue 3 you have taken a hit."

Tim spun around looking to see who had attacked him. He couldn't see anyone. Looking down he could see that he now had two lights out on his jacket. Crouching down behind a pole, he took refuge until his gun would be ready to fire. When he felt that he had counted at least five seconds, he stood and stealthily made his way to the boulder where he thought Abby might be.

"Blue 3 you have taken a hit"

What! No way. There was absolutely no one around him, but sure enough one of the lights on his chest had been extinguished. Maybe his jacket was faulty. Seeing Gibbs in the distance he made his way across the floor. Gibbs turned around, just as Tim approached him. "Boss, I think my jacket might be faulty. I've taken three hits in less than a minute."

Gibbs looked at him and then, hearing a noise from behind, both men twisted their heads to look around. Out of the corner of his eye, Tim saw a beam of red light hit his chest.

"Blue 3 you have taken a hit"

"It came from over there," he whispered as Gibbs turned to look at him.

Both men crouched and started to head in that direction.

"Blue 2 you have taken a hit"

Gibbs looked at Tim. Tim could see one of the lights on Gibbs' jacket had gone out. Without speaking, Tim pointed over Gibbs' left shoulder. Gibbs nodded and changed direction.

"What's going on?" whispered Tony as he approached the two men. "Tim, you only have one light left."

"I know!" growled Tim. "I can't see who is doing it."

"Blue 1 you have taken a hit"

Tony spun around. "Hey, someone just got me."

"Blue 2 you have taken a hit"

The three of them stood in the middle of the floor twisting like spinning tops. "Move!" whispered Gibbs pointing towards a nearby cave. As they crawled inside, Tim going first, they heard

"Blue 1 you have taken a hit"

"Blue 2 you have taken a hit"

Tim felt the only reason he managed to escape without being hit was that he was shielded by Gibbs.

When the three of them were finally in the cave, they looked at each other.

"The girls must have strategically placed themselves so that they could each take a shot." Gibbs said. "It's the only way they could have fired so quickly."

"Well why can we do that?" asked Tony.

"We can, it's just a matter of getting out safely and being able to get into position." Gibbs replied.

"I'm down to one light Boss," said Tim. "Why don't you use me as a distraction so that you and Tony can get out safely? I'll be out but at least you two can get into a position."

"Ok, good plan," said Gibbs. "Tony, you go behind that boulder to the left of us. There is a pole behind you that will help to hide you from behind. I'll head to the right and get in behind the box. OK?"

"OK," said Tony.

"On my count, said Gibbs. He used to fingers to count. When he reached three, Tim led the way out of the cave. A streak of red light hit him squarely on the chest.

"Blue 3 you are now out of the game."

Even though they all knew this would happen, it was disappointing to hear. Tim stayed in front of Tony and Gibbs, shielding them to give them a chance to make their way out.

"Blue 1 you have taken a hit."

"It came from that direction Tony," said Tim as Tony looked up, stunned that he had been hit. Tim was pointing towards the pole in the centre of the room. Looking carefully Tony couldn't see any of the girls there.

"Blue 2 you have taken a hit"

Now it was Gibbs turn to look confused. He hadn't seen anyone either. Looking around for Tim to let him know where the hit had come from, he noticed the assistant leading Tim away. It was just Tony and him left in the game for the boy's side.

Suddenly Tony caught sight of another player. Knowing it wasn't Gibbs, he fired.

"Red 3 you have taken a hit"

"Yes!" he said. But his joy was short lived.

Just as he crawled to the boulder, a flash of red light struck him between the shoulder blades.

"Blue 1 you are now out of the game"

"What! No!" he yelled in frustration. He looked around to see the culprit but no one was near him. He was just about to warn Gibbs when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Sorry kid, you're out," the assistant said, leading him to the seat where Tim was sitting.

It was now down to Gibbs to bring the boys to victory. Crawling around the side of the box, Gibbs spied Jenny and pulled the trigger.

"Red 2 you have taken a hit"

Smiling smugly, he looked around for Abby or Ziva. A sudden movement to his left alerted his senses. Without making a sound, he manoeuvred himself around the prop and, spying Abby, pulled the trigger.

"Red 3 you have taken a hit"

From the sidelines, Tim and Tony couldn't really see what was going on, but they could certainly hear it.

"Come on Dad," cheered Tony, hoping that, where ever he was, Gibbs would hear the encouragement.

Turning to Tim he said, "Do you think Dad can win it for us?"

"Well if anyone can, it's Gibbs," replied Tim with confidence.

"Red 3 you are now out of the game"

Within a minute or so, Abby soon joined Tony and Tim on the bench.

"This is so much fun!" she exclaimed as she sat down. "I haven't seen Ziva for a while but Jenny's holding her own out there.

"Blue 2 you have taken a hit."

"Oh no, Dad's only got one light left," said Tony.

On the floor, Gibbs looked around. That hit had come out of nowhere. It had to be Jenny he thought. "Using what I taught you, against me!" he grumbled under his breath. Sitting as still as a statue, Gibbs looked around him. Again, his eyes caught a slight movement to his left. Taking aim he fired,

"Red 2 you have taken a hit"

Gibbs remained low to the ground, knowing that Jenny would see him if he raised his head even the slightest. He waited for the five second penalty to count down. Then, inching his way along the side of the box, he lifted his head the tiniest bit. A stream of red laser light flew over him, just missing him by a fraction of an inch. But a miss was all he needed. He raised his gun and fired at Jenny.

"Red 2 you have taken a hit"

"Dad and Jenny only have one light left," said Tony, "Hey, I don't think I've heard Ziva's number being called yet. How is she managing to stay safe?"

"Don't know," said Tim, "But I'm sure she's making a few of those hits."

Gibbs looked around to see where Jenny had gone. There was no sign of her at all. Knowing they both only had one hit left, he didn't want to take any chances. Added to that, he wondered where Ziva was. He knew she hadn't taken any hits.

Moving carefully, he crept along the floor and slowly made his way around the back of the cave they had sheltered in earlier. Not wanting to risk trying for the entrance, he crouched down and waited for any sign of movement. It didn't take long. Peering around the box he had just moved away from was Jenny. Gibbs smirked and, taking aim, he raised his head about foot above the cave entrance exposing the top half of his chest. Just as he pulled the trigger and saw the blue light hit Jenny, a stream of red light beamed on his chest.

"Red 2 you are now out of the game"

"Blue 2 you are now out of the game"

"Red team wins,"

Suddenly the lights came on. Running over to Gibbs, Tony said "Well done Dad, you nearly did it,"

"Thanks Tony," said Gibbs as Jenny and Abby began cheering.

"Come out Ziva!" called Abby, "We've won!"

Looking around, everyone waited expectantly to see where Ziva had been hiding. But there was no movement from any direction.

"Ziva!" called Gibbs. "You won, you can reveal yourself!"

"Hang on," called a voice from up high. "I'm coming!"

Looking up everyone gasped. Balancing across the exposed rafters along the ceiling, lay Ziva, gun drawn and head facing downwards.

"Ziva!" yelled Gibbs. "What the hel…ck are you doing up there?"

"Shooting everyone," she answered. As she carefully made her way across the beams, those on the floor held their breath. Reaching the middle and highest pole, Ziva slipped through the metal rafter and, using one hand to hang onto the metal rung, she dropped lithely onto the top of the pole. Wrapping her body around the pole, she shimmied down and was soon standing amongst the group.

Once he could see she was safely on the ground, Gibbs said, "Ziva! How on earth did you get up there?"

"Easy," she said. I just climbed this pole and then weaved my way through the rafters. Up there I could see everyone and was able to shoot you easily." She beamed at everyone.

"That's cheating!" declared Tony.

"No it's not!" proclaimed Ziva. "There were no rules saying you couldn't climb up high. I just used my brain to find the best hiding spot,"

"But…but…" Tony was totally lost for words.

Shaking his head, Gibbs looked at Ziva.

"Ziva David," he growled. "You are part monkey!"

"But I didn't break any rules," she repeated.

"No," he said realising she was speaking the truth. "I guess you didn't."

As she smiled broadly and began to hi-five Abby, Gibbs said, "However, as leader of the blue team, we are putting in a protest!"

"Oh, what's the matter," said Jenny is a condescending voice. "Did the big bad marine sniper get beaten by a five year old girl?"

Gibbs glared at her with such ferocity, even Abby backed away. But Jenny just stood her ground and smirked annoyingly.

"Ok," said Gibbs. "We shall give you this round. However…."

But no one heard anything further, for at that moment, the outside door flung open and a rather flustered looking man, followed by the teenage assistant they had dealt with earlier, entered the room. Walking straight up to Gibbs, the man said, "Excuse me Sir, but our security staff have just alerted me to the fact that one of your group was seen climbing along the roof rafters. As the manager of this establishment, I must inform you that such actions are strictly against our occupational health and safety policies and, any repeat of this behaviour will see the whole group evicted from the building."

"I'm very sorry Sir," apologised Gibbs. "It won't happen again."

"I should think not," replied the man crossly. "You really must set a better example. You have children in your party. What if they tried to copy this behaviour?"

Before Gibbs could say anymore, Ziva went up to the man and tapped him on the arm.

"Excuse me Mr," she said politely. "But you shouldn't growl at my Daddy because it wasn't his fault. If you don't want people climbing the roof you should include it as one of the rules. No-one told me I wasn't allowed to climb and, as anyone knows, if you want to beat an opponent, the best advantage point is up high. I promise I won't do it again, but next time, have your assistant tell people that climbing is wrong. OK?"

She waited for a response.

Staring at her, the man said "You? You climbed up there?"

"Of course," replied Ziva.

When the man just stared at her open mouthed Ziva continued, "So, in future, I think you should be very clear on the rules. It's not fair to tell people they will be evicted if they didn't know that what they were doing was wrong. But, now that I know, I promise I won't climb up that high again. And one thing you should know about me, is that I don't break promises, especially if I hope to die because a promise is a trust bond and….

"Thank you Ziva," said Gibbs stepping forward and gently pulling Ziva close to him. "I think the manager realises that it won't happen again." Looking up into the manager's face, Gibbs said, "Once again, I apologise Sir."

The manager mumbled a couple of phrases which sounded something like, "that's good to hear" and "healthy and safety you know" and "out of my control" then shaking Gibbs' hand, he turned and almost ran from the room.

Looking at each other, Abby suddenly burst out laughing. "That was priceless Ziva," she said. "I bet he never thought he'd have to include 'no climbing the roof rafters' as a rule on the pamphlet!"

"Why?" asked Ziva. "It's obvious that the roof is the best place from which to attack. Anyone knows that!" she said rolling her eyes.

"No Ziva," said Tony shaking his head at her. "Only you would think of that!"

"Come on everyone," said Gibbs. "Best out of three."

As the assistant came in and reset everyone's jackets and guns, the six of them prepared for the next match. Finding a boulder behind which to hide, Gibbs smiled to himself. After what she had told him the other day, Gibbs had refrained from getting cross at Ziva for climbing the rafters. She was simply 'using her brain' as she had explained. Ingenious as it was, she had no idea just how dangerous it appeared to everyone else. And, as she justified her actions to the manager, Gibbs knew that Ziva wasn't being deliberately disrespectful. It was an interesting situation in which he found himself, but understanding a little of her background has certainly helped him to better handle the whole situation. There would be time for Ziva to learn that she didn't need to justify everything she did, but for now, he was happy to let her progress slowly.

As he crouched behind the boulder in preparation for round two, he smiled to himself. Only Ziva would think to scale the roof rafters in order to win a game of Laser Tag.

To be continued….


	26. Boys and Girls Come Out to Play - Part 2

Chapter 26 - Girls and Boys Come Out to Play - Part 2

The score was one round each and in the nail biting last few seconds, it was down to Jenny and Tim to finish this decider. As the other four players sat on the side lines, craning their necks to try and see any action, their loyalties were divided. Gibbs and Tony sat on the edge of their seats, Tony leaning his hand on Gibbs leg as they muttered phrases such as 'come on Tim, you can do it' or 'keep down low and don't get seen'. Whilst the Abby and Ziva, holding hands tightly whispered, 'come on Jenny, get him get him,'

Not being able to see a thing made it all the more exciting. And knowing this was the decider, the boys having won round two, had everyone on edge.

Suddenly there was a burst of red and blue, hitting together in the air and almost creating purple. The four on the sidelines waited with baited breath for the announcement.

Red 2 you are now out of the game.

Blue 3 you are now out of the game.

Blue wins.

"Woohoo!" yelled Tony punching the air. "We won Gibbs, we won!" Gibbs and Tony hi-fived each other then leapt out of their seats to go and find Tim.

As Ziva and Abby got up, Abby said "Oh well, it was certainly a fun morning,"

"Don't worry Abby," said Ziva patting her consolingly. "Jenny would have let Tim win so that they weren't grumpy for the rest of the day. You know what boys are like."

Abby laughed. "So true. I like the way you think."

As the group re-assembled outside the laser tag room, Gibbs said goodbye to Ziva. "Have a wonderful time with Jenny and Abby and be good!" he reminded her.

"I will Daddy," she said giving him a hug. "You have a good day too. See you tomorrow."

Waving her goodbye, he watched until the girls had left the room, then turning to Tony and Tim he said, "So, where would you like to go to next?"

"Lunch!" said Tony.

Looking at his watch and noticing it was only 11.30 he said, "Why don't we go and have a snack to tide us over for a couple of hours and have lunch about 1.00pm?"

"Sounds good," said Tony. "As long as food is involved I don't care."

"And this from the boy who said yesterday, 'who needs food?'. Didn't I say you were a bottomless pit?" said Gibbs laughing.

As they exited the laser tag room, they found themselves back in the foyer. Seeing a sign to the outside area, Gibbs lead the three of them through the door until they were standing in the sunshine, staring at all the rides they hadn't been able to see from the entrance.

"Wow!" said Tim. "This place is huge. I had no idea they had a roller coaster here."

"Hey mini golf!" said Tony spying the game in the distance. "Let's have a go at that!"

"I thought you wanted food?" asked Gibbs.

"I do!" said Tony, "But we can eat and play can't we?"

"Nope, no food on the games and rides," replied Gibbs.

"Bummer!" exclaimed Tony. "Ok, food first then."

They found a food stand and Gibbs bought hot dogs for the three of them plus drinks. As they ate, they wandered around the complex having a look at what was available and making quick plans of what they should do in the afternoon. Mini gold and the roller coaster were on Tony's 'must see' list. Gibbs voted for the dodgem cars and Tim chose the arcade centre.

Once they had finished their hot dogs, Gibbs suggested Tony and Tim go on the roller coaster while he minded the drinks. Tim's face paled at the thought. Heights were not his strong point. But realising Tony wouldn't want to go on his own, and not wanting to appear too scared, Tim reluctantly agreed.

"Don't ya want to go on it with us?" asked Tony turning to Gibbs.

"Nah," said Gibbs. "I prefer my food to stay in my stomach."

Damn, why did I think of that excuse, thought Tim to himself.

Tony grabbed Tim's arm, "Come on Tim, let's get the front seat."

"Really?" questioned Tim. "Wouldn't you rather sit in the middle somewhere?"

"Why?" asked Tony. "The front is the best. You get the best view from there,"

"Er yeah," said Tim a little apprehensively. "That's the problem."

"I thought you wanted to go on the roller coaster?" asked Tony confused.

"Well, yeah, I do,…I think… I just don't like heights very much. At least in the middle it's obscured a bit," replied Tim.

"Seriously! Come on Tim, don't be a scaredy cat. If Ziva can balance on the roof rafters, you can sit on a roller coaster!" said Tony scornfully.

"Ok," said Tim sighing reluctantly. "You go line up and I'll meet you there in a minute."

As Tony ran off, Tim took out his wallet, keys and loose change from his pocket and handed them to Gibbs.

"Ah, just in case it gets a bit hairy. Don't want to lose them," he said when Gibbs looked at him confused.

Nodding his understanding, Gibbs took the offered items.

"You know boss," said Tim as he checked his back pockets for any other loose objects. "It's really strange not having Tony call me 'Mc' names. I was half expecting him to say 'McScaredy-cat'. Never thought I'd say this but I actually miss it."

"Well, I could always give him the hint. I'm sure even at ten he can come up with some good ones," replied Gibbs grinning,

"Er, no. That's fine Boss. I'll just wait a couple of years," remarked Tim.

"McChicken," said Gibbs smirking at him.

"Funny Boss!" replied Tim sarcastically. "Ok, see you in a couple of minutes, I hope!"

And with that, Tim jogged over to Tony who was nearly at the front of the line.

"This is going to be so cool!" remarked Tony as they neared the entrance.

Unfortunately for Tony but much to Tim's relief, the front seats were taken and they ended up sitting sixth from the front. Pulling the bar down over themselves, they waited expectantly. It wasn't long before they felt the first jolt of the roller coaster beginning to move.

"Here we go!" said Tony excitedly.

As the cart moved forward, Tim began to regret his decision to go on this torture machine. And, as he suddenly found himself sitting vertically while the cart inched up a steep incline, he definitely began to question is sanity.

"Oh God," he said as he felt his head tilting backwards. "Oh God, oh God," he silently prayed.

Tony looked over at him and shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Come on Tim," he said encouragingly. "It's not that bad. We're not even at the top yet."

Tim responded with a weakened groan and closed his eyes. As the cart neared the top Tony exclaimed, "Oh wow! Look at the view,"

"Yeah, it's great," said Tim, eyes shut tightly.

Just as the cart hit the apex and was about to go hurtling down the other side, Tony yelled. "Tim, there's a huge spider on your hand!"

"Where?" yelled Tim, opening his eyes. He didn't see a spider but, unfortunately he did see the view! At least twelve stories high, Tim was suddenly transfixed. As the adrenalin pulsed through his blood, his body froze and his mouth opened into a silent scream.

As the cart hurtled down the track, Tim felt his life flash before his eyes. No longer in control of his body, he felt himself sway left and right as the cart made first a sharp right turn, then a left, climbed yet another ridge and hurtled down. Just as he thought it couldn't get any worse, Tim saw the loop of doom. He didn't even have enough oxygen to his brain to think about being grateful he'd given his stuff to Gibbs, all he could do was grip the railing and pray that the contents of his stomach remained where they were.

When, after about three minutes of hell, the ride finally came to a stop. Tim sat in his seat unable to move.

"That was fantastic!" yelled Tony. "Let's go again Tim!"

He looked at the man sitting next to him. "Tim?" he asked. "Tim, are you ok?"

Unable to speak or move and realising the only reason he was still breathing was that it was an involuntary action, Tim stared ahead, eyes bulging.

"Excuse me Sir," said one of the attendants. "Are you ok?

He tapped Tim on the arm. Still no response.

Looking around Tony spied Gibbs. "Dad!" he called. "Dad, come and help?"

Jogging over to the cart, Gibbs looked at Tim and had to refrain from laughing. The poor man was now a gruesome shade of green and still seemed unable to move.

"Come on Tim," coaxed Gibbs, grabbing Tim's arm and pulling him.

As if coming out of a trance, Tim looked around. Hands shaking and legs all wobbly, he tried desperately to stand but had to be supported by Gibbs and the attendant. When they finally reached the exit and Gibbs and Tony led Tim to a nearby seat, Gibbs said, "Are you ok Tim?"

"Oh God," said Tim, "Oh God,"

"That's all he kept saying when we were on the ride Dad," informed Tony. "I didn't know Tim was religious."

Gibbs smirked. "I don't think he is, Tony."

Seeing the half finished drink in Gibbs' hand, Tony, thinking he was being helpful said, "Hey Tim, why don't you have the rest of your milkshake?"

Tim's eyes widened and as his body began to retch, he leapt to his feet and just reached the nearby rubbish bin in time to empty the contents of his stomach.

"Gee Tim," said Tony as he watched the poor man heaving into the bin. "You must have had a bad hotdog or something?"

Hearing the word 'hotdog' Tim began a new round of retching and heaving. Gibbs looked at Tony and said, "Not helping Bud. Might be best to stay away from food talk for a while."

Tony shrugged. "So I guess Nacho's are out of the question then?"

"Oh God," said Tim, leaning over for a third round.

It took a full twenty minutes for Tim to feel somewhat human again. Having bought him a bottle of water, Tim sipped gratefully while he waited for all sense of equilibrium to return. When he was finally able to form coherent sentences, he looked at Tony and said, "There was no spider was there?"

Suddenly remembering what he'd said at the top of the first ridge, Tony turned beet red and said, "Sorry Tim, if I'd known it would have caused this, I would never had said anything,"

Sitting back in his seat, Tim groaned. "Never again!" he exclaimed. "Never again!"

Deciding to rest for a while, Tim told Tony and Gibbs to go on the dodgem cars saying it really wasn't his thing anyway.

"You sure?" asked Gibbs. "We can wait until you are feeling better?"

"No, that's fine," said Tim. "I'm more than happy to sit this one out."

"Come on then Dad," called Tony, wanting to keep moving. He didn't want to waste any of this day.

When they found the large arena filled with dodgem cars, Tim sat down in the waiting area and Tony and Gibbs passed him various items to look after. Walking over to the entrance, they waited for the current ride to finish. Watching the cars Tony spotted a red one.

"I'm going to grab that red one over there," he said. "Magnum drives a red Ferrari and I'm gonna pretend that's what it is." He beamed at Gibbs. "What colour are you going to choose?"

Looking around Gibbs spotted a blue car with the number 10 on it. "I'm going for that blue one over there with the number ten on it. Having your age on it might bring me some luck."

Tony grinned, "Don't bet on it," he said. "In my red Ferrari I'm gonna kick butt."

Gibbs grinned at him. Tony was having the time of his life.

As the previous round finished and the people exited the arena, Tony ran to the red car with the number 6 on it. Gibbs also managed to secure his blue number 10 and, hopping in, they waiting until everyone had found a car. There were about ten people all together. As the attendant came around to secure everyone's seat belt, Tony grinned at Gibbs and leaned forward, narrowing his eyes, pretending he was about to ram into him. They waited. Suddenly the screen at the front flashed down the numbers, 3, 2, 1, and a siren sounded. Feeling his car jolt into action, Tony pressed down on the pedal and the car flew into action, shooting forward and ramming straight into the green car in front of him. The teenage girl who was sitting in the car, turned and gave Tony a nasty look. He grinned at her and shrugged, then turned his wheel to head for Gibbs.

Looking around, he spotted the blue 10 as it rounded the track. Tony pushed on the pedal and the car accelerated. Rounding the bend, Tony could see Gibbs' car getting closer and closer. Hoping to close the gap even further, he pushed the pedal right to the floor. The car suddenly began to bunny hop along the track, no longer able to maintain a steady pace. Panicking, Tony lifted his foot off the pedal and the car slowed slightly but he'd achieved his goal and was now almost alongside Gibbs. "Hey Dad!" he yelled, "I'm gonna get ya!"

Just as he was about to reach Gibbs' car, the teenage girl he'd hit earlier, slammed into the back of him sending him flying forward. Slipping forward in his seat, Tony slammed his foot down on the floor to steady himself before he fell under the dash. Unfortunately though, he'd hit the pedal and not the floor. Having been forced down so quickly, the pedal jammed between the floor and front of the car and wouldn't release. Realising that he no longer had control of the car's speed, all Tony could do was steer and hope that he didn't injure anyone.

As he steered around the corner, he advanced upon the green car belonging to the teenage girl.

"Look out!" he yelled as she suddenly veering into his path. Thinking he was deliberately attacking her, the girl shouted something extremely rude at him but it made no difference. Grabbing the wheel Tony tried desperately to swerve out of her way. As he sped up behind her, he thought he was going to make it, but unfortunately, he just clipped the right rear of her car, spinning her out of control and into the cushioning tyres along the outer edge.

Suddenly Tony became like a hot potato. People were swerving to get out of his way as he sped around the track.

"Dad!" he yelled as he came up behind Gibbs' blue number 10. "My pedal is stuck I can't get control."

"Just keep steering and I'll try and alert someone," yelled Gibbs.

Tim, watching from the sidelines, had heard Tony's yell. Standing up, he could see the boy had no control of his car. Running up to the attendant he tried to explain what was happening. The attendant, a teenager of no more than 18 years, turned nonchalantly and, mistaking Tony's scream of terror as one of joy, said to Tim, "He's cool dude, no probs. They'll be like finished pretty soon dude so just chill man."

Tim just stared at the attendant and, realising he was not going to be of any help, Tim ran past him into the outer edge of the arena but behind the barrier. While trying to shout out advice to Tony and maintaining a safe distance, Tim sprinted around the edge of the barrier.

As Tony flew around the track, he could see Tim yelling at him but had no idea what he was trying to say. Then he suddenly had a thought. If he slammed into the tyre barrier it may just slow him down enough to feel more in control. Unfortunately, his ten year old brain didn't really think that one through. As the black barrier came closer and closer, Tony shut his eyes and hoped the crash would be relatively soft. It wasn't!

As his car slammed into the tyres, his seatbelt, which had become loose when he was rammed by the girl, suddenly unsnapped. The force of the impact sent Tony flying into the air.

Tim, having realised at last minute what Tony was going to do, sprinted to the where he thought Tony would collide. His instincts had been spot on. Watching the impact, Tim was horrified to suddenly see an airborne Tony. Looking like a would be catcher in the last throws of a baseball match, Tim weaved frantically with his arms outstretched as Tony, having reach his highest point, began to plummet to the ground.

With almighty 'thud' both Tim and Tony hit the ground with an awful force. Abandoning his car, Gibbs leapt over the barrier and rushed to the two figures on the floor. As he approached, he could hear two sets of groans indicating that both were still conscious.

Within a few seconds the area was surrounded with attendants, on lookers and, thankfully, a doctor enjoying a day out with her family.

"Don't move them!" she shouted as she ran up to the crumpled mass that was Tim and Tony. As she hurriedly approached them, the doctor could see that the man and boy were conscious and trying to stand up.

"Stay still," she cautioned.

"I'm ok," said Tony. He was, by now, sitting up and rubbing his side, where he had landed on the ground. "Tim cushioned my fall."

Tim, also conscious, was grasping his arm and moaning in pain.

"I think my arm is broken," he moaned as he sat up next to Tony.

Taking one quick glance at his arm, the doctor looked at him and said "I think you may be right." Tim's forearm was bent rather strangely about half way along.

"Oh yuck Tim!" said Tony looking horrified. "I don't think you're meant to have a joint there!"

"Me neither," said Tim, suddenly going green again.

"I'll call an ambulance," said Gibbs.

"No need," replied one of the older attendants. "I've already done that. We're just clearing a path now."

Another one of the attendants said, "Can someone tell me what happened?"

As Tony explained how his pedal had become jammed and how he thought hitting the barrier might have helped him to gain control, everyone around him listened in horror.

"Sorry Dad," he finally said, looking at Gibbs' worried face. "I didn't realise I would become a human cannonball."

"Not your fault Tony," said Gibbs putting his arm around his son. "Your seatbelt must have been faulty."

They were suddenly set upon by a black blur as a man in a suit came up to them apologising profusely. As Gibbs looked up to see who it was, he recognised the manager who had spoken to them in the laser tag room.

As the manager recognised Gibbs, his face took on a horrified expression.

"Oh it's you," he said faintly. "So er…what seems to be the er…problem?"

Tony explained again how his pedal had become stuck and, when he'd finished, Gibbs commented on the fact that his seatbelt must have been faulty.

Fearing a law suit of immense proportion, the manager flustered around, apologising for the situation and offering to pay for all medical expenses that may result. He wrote down Gibbs' name and address and asked that Gibbs contact him as soon as he knew how badly Tim's arm was broken. Gibbs assured him he would.

Just as the manager finished writing Gibbs' cell number, the ambulance edged its way through the crowd, to stop in front of Tim. Two paramedics hopped out and, after examining Tim's arm again, they applied an inflatable cast and gave Tim a morphine whistle to suck on for pain relief. As they bundled Tim into the ambulance, Gibbs asked which hospital they were taking him to and assured Tim that they would be meeting him there. Watching the ambulance drive off, Gibbs finalised any further information needed by the manager and then led Tony out of the complex.

As they entered the parking lot, Gibbs turned to look at Tony. Everything had happened so quickly, he hadn't even had chance to talk to his son. Now that they were free from the gawking crowds and worried attendants, Gibbs stopped and, facing Tony, put his hands on Tony's shoulders.

"Are you ok Tony?" he asked gently. He could see Tony was very shaken, and while not hurt, he was pale and possibly in shock.

Tony suddenly burst into tears.

"It's all my fault. I ruined everything!" he cried, lunging himself into Gibbs' arms.

"Hey Buddy," soothed Gibbs picking him up and stroking his head. "None of this is your fault."

He looked around for a place to sit and, spotting a bench nearby, he carried Tony over to it and sat down with Tony on his lap, cradled in his arms. He rocked the boy gently, rubbing his back and head, as Tony cried out all the stress and fear of the past hour.

When Tony started to settle, he continued to rock him, whispering soothing words as he boy began to relax and the sobs turned to an occasional hiccup.

Looking at Tony, Gibbs said, "This is not your fault. It was just one of those things that combined to create a terrible situation."

"But I broke Tim's arm!" Tim cried.

"No you didn't. That was an accident," soothed Gibbs.

"But if I hadn't crashed into the barrier Tim wouldn't have tried to catch me," Tony argued.

"Tony, anything could have happened. You could have crashed into another car, you could have rolled your car. If Tim hadn't been there, you could have hit the ground and broken your neck. I'm sure Tim is just as pleased as I am that the only injury we have to deal with today is a broken arm. It could have been so much worse."

"But why did it have to be me? Why couldn't this have happened to someone else? I always ruin things." Tony buried his head into Gibbs chest and began crying again.

"Tony, I can't answer why, but I can tell you one thing. You do not ruin things." Gibbs stroked Tony's hair as he spoke. "Today was just one of those days that no-one can explain. Instead of blaming yourself, look at how lucky you were. So many terrible things could have happened but they didn't."

"I bet Tim doesn't think that!" Tony sobbed.

"I bet he does," argued Gibbs. "I bet he is so thankful that he was there to catch you, he hasn't even worried about his arm. All he wanted to do was to make sure you were safe."

"But why?" asked Tony.

"Why?" repeated Gibbs. "Why do you think? Because he loves you. You are his little brother. He would do anything to make sure you were safe, even if it meant risking injury to himself."

Looking down at Tony as the boy tried to take in this information, Gibbs continued. "Tony, you are so precious to all of us. All we want to do is make sure you are happy and safe. Don't ever doubt the love any of us has for you. Me, Ziva, Jenny, Abby, Tim and Ducky, we are all your family and we love you so much. When Tim ran to catch you today, he only did what any of us would have tried to do, probably even Ziva with all the crazy things she tries!" Gibbs added. Tony smiled, imagining Ziva running to try and catch him.

"We are your family," Gibbs repeated. "And family stick together and help each other. I'm afraid you are stuck with all of us whether you want to be or not because none of us are letting you go. You got that?"

Tony nodded and wiped his nose on the back of his hand. Fishing out a handkerchief, Gibbs handed it to him. Tony blew his nose and looked up at his Dad.

"Do you think Tim will be ok?" he asked.

"Sure he will," reassured Gibbs. "He's pretty tough you know. How about we go to the hospital and see for ourselves?"

Tony nodded and wiped his nose again. Standing him up, Gibbs put his arm around the boy and together they walked to the car.

As Gibbs pulled into the hospital car park he turned to Tony and said, "I'm just going to call Jenny and let her know what has happened."

"No!" yelled Tony. "Don't do that, it will spoil their day."

"Tony, if something had happened to Ziva, would you want to know?" asked Gibbs.

Tony sighed. It was true, he would want to know. He nodded his head.

"Well," continued Gibbs, pressing the speed dial. "So would I and I know Jenny would too."

As Tony listened to the conversation he could tell that Jenny was shocked by the way Gibbs tried to calm her down. He also heard his Dad say, "Tony's fine," about 4 times. He wondered if he was speaking to all the girls.

When Gibbs hung up, Tony said, "They're coming over aren't they?"

"Yep," replied Gibbs.

Tony sighed. "Now I've ruined their day as well."

Gibbs turned around in the seat and looked sternly at Tony. "Now listen to me young man. You haven't ruined anything. Do you know what the first thing was that Jenny asked me?"

Tony shook his head.

"Is Tony ok? That's the first thing she said when she answered the phone. Then, all I could hear in the background was Ziva yelling, 'Is Tony ok, is Tony ok?'. They know that it's Tim that's hurt and they also know that Tim will be fine, but they are worried about you. And guess what Jenny said to me just before she hung up?"

Tony shrugged.

"She said, 'Tell Tony this is not his fault. I bet he's blaming himself isn't he?' That's what she said to me Tony. She loves you so much she still more worried about you even though she knows it's Tim that has the broken arm. And as soon as the other's heard the news, they were in the background saying, 'We need to get to the hospital'. They didn't think twice Tony. Just like we wouldn't think twice if it were one of them."

Gibbs looked at Tony who was now looking into his lap, fresh tears falling on his cheeks.

"I don't get it Dad. I mean I know we're family but we're not really. Senior is my real dad and he never came to see me if I were sick or hurt. Do you know he once forgot about me in a hotel room? I was there for three days on my own. Why is it that my real Dad can't care like you do."

Gibbs looked at Tony and wondered whether he should be honest. Then remembering how he was honest with Ziva, he threw caution to the wind and said, "Because Senior is a selfish bastard who doesn't deserve to have a great kid like you."

Tony looked up in shock.

"I mean it Tony," said Gibbs. "I have no idea how you turned out as great as you are. You are an amazing, selfless, smart, boy who puts the needs of others before yourself. You are twice the man you're biological father will ever be. And I refuse to call him your 'real dad' because a real dad doesn't treat his son the way Senior treated you."

Tony sniffed and nodded. "You're right about one thing. He's not my real dad, you are." He looked up at Gibbs and smiled.

Choking back the tears, Gibbs returned the smile and said, "And nothing makes me prouder than to have you as my son."

He reached over and put his hand on Tony's shoulder and squeezed gently. "Come on Bud, let's go and make sure your bother's ok."

Tony nodded and opened his car door. "Wow, for a while there it was just me and Senior and my nanny, now I have a dad, kind of a mum, two sisters and a brother."

"Don't forget Ducky," reminded Gibbs.

"And an Uncle! This family just keeps getting bigger." He said.

"Yep," said Gibbs as he waited for Tony to get out of the car. "And do you know what the best part is? The more family you have, the more love there is to go around."

Tony nodded and smiled. As they walked to the entrance of the hospital he thought about how lucky he was. He couldn't remember how he came to be with all these people, but boy, was he sure pleased this was where he had ended up.

Within ninety mintues, the whole group was gathered around Tim who was lying on a hospital bed in the E.R. The treating doctor had given him a light sedative so they could pull his forearm back into position and set it in a cast. They were now just monitoring Tim and making observations to ensure he hadn't hit his head or anything when he fell.

"I wish they'd just let me go," he whined to Gibbs. "I feel fine Boss."

"Let the medical staff decide that Tim," said Gibbs sternly. "It's not every day you hire yourself out as a human trampoline."

Tim smiled. "By the way," said Gibbs leaning into Tim. "Thank you. You probably saved Tony's life today."

"Anytime Boss," said Tim. "I'm just so relieved I got to him in time."

"Me too Tim," said Gibbs patting Tim's good shoulder. "Me too!"

"So Tony?" said Abby, grinning at the young boy leaning up against Jenny's chair. "What's it feel like to be a human cannonball?"

"Scary!" said Tony. "When my seat belt unsnapped, I thought I was gonna face-plant the ground. Then all I could see was Tim standing there with his arms outstretched. Then I shut my eyes."

Everyone laughed.

"Well thank goodness you are both all right," said Jenny pulling Tony closer to her. "We were so worried about you."

'Yeah," said Ziva. "Look I only ended up with one hand done." She held out her hands and Tony could see the right one had the nails painted purple and little tiny sparkly things on them. He figured they must have gone to some beauty salon or something.

"That looks cool Ziva," he said. "Sorry I wrecked your day,"

"You didn't wreck it Tony," she said. "I was so worried when Daddy rang. But I'm glad you're ok. Besides," she added speaking quietly into Tony's ear, "This lady was rubbing this oily stuff into my legs and feet and it felt really creepy!" Ziva pulled a face.

"That's a massage Ziva," said Abby. "It's not creepy, it's relaxing."

"Nah uh," said Ziva. "I don't like having people I don't know running their hands up and down my legs and then when she starting touching my feet," she shuddered. "I nearly kicked her in the face!"

Jenny laughed. "Well maybe it's a good job Tony did decide to try and fly," she said. "We may have had an assault charge on our hands Jethro."

"See Tony," said Ziva. "You didn't wreck our day, you actually helped it. Although it would have been even better if Tim had bled a bit. A broken arm is pretty boring."

"Gee thanks Ziva," said Tim sarcastically. "Next time I'll try harder!"

"Ok," she said seriously. Tim rolled his eyes. Sarcasm was lost on five year olds.

Thirty minutes later, the attending doctor entered the cubicle and declared Tim free to go. After signing some paperwork, the group headed out of the emergency room and into the late afternoon sun.

"Well, I guess you three can go back to doing your girlie thing, and we can head home for pizzas," said Gibbs smiling at the group.

"I guess," said Tony sighing.

"You don't sound too happy about that," said Gibbs looking at him.

"Oh, no, I am," said Tony not wanting to upset anyone. "It's just…well it's kind of been nice us all being here together. Even though it was at the hospital."

"Yeah," said Ziva. "It's nice being just girls and boys but it's better when we're all together."

Gibbs and Jenny looked at each other and smiled.

"So," began Gibbs. "What you're saying is you'd be happy to stay together for the rest of the weekend."

Ziva and Tony both nodded their heads vigorously.

"Well, I think we can manage that," said Jenny. "What do you think Jethro?"

"What? You mean us boys have to put up with you girls?" said Gibbs.

"No Daddy," said Ziva sternly. "Us girls are choosing to spend our time with you boys. You should be very grateful for our company."

Smiling down at her, Gibbs said, "You're so right pumpkin. We are very grateful to have the company of three beautiful ladies, aren't we Tony?" He looked over at Tony.

"Well I don't know about that," Tony said grinning. "But I'm happy to put up with these three instead."

Pretending to look offended, Abby and Jen each punched one of Tony's arms.

"Hey!" he said indignantly, "Human cannonball here remember. Could have died, a little sympathy please."

"Um, excuse me?" piped up Tim, "I'm the hero of the day. If anyone needs sympathy, it should be directed this way."

Shaking his head, Gibbs began to walk towards the car. "If any of you wingnuts wants pizza tonight, you better shut up and come with me."

"On it boss," said Tim.

"Coming Dad," replied Tony.

As Tony and Tim hurried to catch up with Gibbs, Jenny turned to Ziva. "Are you sure you want to go home?"

"Yep," said Ziva. "I had fun today, but I really missed Daddy and Tony. Maybe we could do something together another day?"

"That sounds good Ziva," said Abby.

"Yeah, but not that touchy stuff," said Ziva screwing up her nose. "That's just creepy."

Jenny and Ziva laughed.

"Ok then, pizza it is," said Jenny. "I guess the only thing better than a girls night out is a family night in."

Abby and Ziva nodded in agreement. As they reached the car, Abby turned to Jenny and said quietly, "We'll have to remind her of this in a couple of year's time. I wonder what she'll think when we tell her she turned down an afternoon of pampering, followed by an evening of fine dining to have pizza with Tony, Tim and Gibbs?"

"She'll probably kill us!" said Jenny laughing.


	27. Family is Forever

**AN: Thank you to all of you who have taken this journey with me. This is the first story I've ever written and I have enjoyed it immensely but especially because of all your positive feedback. It helps knowing there are people out there who are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it. While this chapter finishes this first story, there will be more to follow. I am currently working on a 'Jibbs' piece which will see our couple finally get things together. This will be a short story and will lead into the longer 'vacation epic' which I hope to begin soon. As Tony and Ziva will be 'little' for a couple of years, I plan on continuing this for a while yet. I also hope to write about when they grow again and the ways in which they and the people around them cope with this.**

**So, once again, thanks for travelling with me. I hope to have the "Jibbs" story up in about a week's time. I think if you favourite me as an author you will get a notification. Not sure, but I know I do if I've 'favourited' an author. If not, hopefully you will catch it once I've put it up. I think it will be called 'Rekindling the Flame,' but yet to fully commit to this title.**

**Until then, thanks for reading and enjoy this final chapter.**

Chapter 27 - Family is Forever

As Gibbs pulled into the driveway, he checked the backseat to ensure the pizzas were still intact. He had been reluctant to have Tony mind them knowing how hungry the boy was but was pleased to see his dire warnings and threats had prevailed. Despite looking at the boxes longingly, Tony had exercised great restraint although had to be spoken to once when he kept opening the top flap to waft the delicious smell around the car.

"Tony, it'll go cold if you keep doing that," said Gibbs as Tony lifted the flap for the third time in as many minutes.

"But it smells so good Dad!" whined Tony. "Can't I just have one slice?"

"No," said Gibbs laughing. "If I say yes, you'll end up eating a whole pizza."

Tony didn't say anything but just grinned. He knew his dad was right.

"Besides," added Gibbs. "It's polite to wait for everyone before you start hoeing in."

When the car had finally pulled into the drive way, Tony was out the door and balancing six pizza boxes before Gibbs even had time to unfasten his seat belt. He unlocked the house door and held it open for Tony before going back to the car and helping Tim into the house.

Tim's arm was now set and, other than a dull ache, he was relatively pain free. The doctor had suggested Tim get it checked after four weeks as the cast may be able to come off earlier. The break had been clean and healing should be quick.

For Tim, if having a broken arm had to happen, the timing of this one had been as perfect as possible. He had just finished his second book and, only yesterday had sent it off to the editors. It would be a good four to six weeks before he needed to do anymore work on it and his ideas and drafts for his third book were in pen and paper. The doctors and nurses had been quite sympathetic to Tim's plight of a broken right arm until he informed them that he was left handed. Tony, too, had been relieved when he heard that Tim's book wouldn't be held up due to the accident. Tim had reassured Tony that this wasn't his fault in any way and between both him and Gibbs, they hoped that Tony had stopped blaming himself.

Once inside, Gibbs and Tony gathered plates and napkins for everyone to use while Tim rested on the sofa. They then put out glasses and, once everything was ready, sat on the sofa with Tim and waited.

"What's taking them so long?" asked Tony, eyeing of the untouched pizza boxes. "All they had to do was pick up some drinks. If they don't hurry up I'm…"

But the sound of a car pulling into the driveway stopped him from completing this sentence.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, rushing to the door and letting them in.

As he opened the door, he wasn't greeting by the girls, but rather Ducky.

"Oh hi Ducky," he said surprised. "I was expecting the girls."

"Sorry to disappoint dear boy," said Ducky good naturedly. "Jethro rang me earlier to say that plans had been changed and we were meeting for team pizzas."

"Yep," said Tony. "Well that's the plan if the girls ever show up!"

"Are you blaming us again?" called a voice from the path outside."I guess you don't want this then?"

Tony looked to see Jenny coming up the drive with an enormous cake box in her hands.

"Um, I didn't say that, it was Dad who was complaining," said Tony grinning.

"I heard that!" growled Gibbs from the living room.

"Tony, you should know by now, it's his eye sight that's weak not his hearing," replied Jenny.

"Heard that too!" retorted Gibbs.

Jenny smirked.

"Wow, what's in the box?" asked Tony trying to peek inside.

"Hang on," said Jenny. "Let me get through the door first and I'll explain." She shuffled her way in trying to balance the box without letting it fall. It was enormous. Behind her came Abby and Ziva, each carrying large bags filled with drinks for the evening.

Going into the kitchen, Jenny placed the box on the table. Tony began to lift the lid to have a look when his hand was sharply smacked by Gibbs.

"Hey!" he yelled, rubbing the back of his hand.

"Mitts off!" growled Gibbs. "It's a surprise. No peeking, you'll get to see it later tonight."

"Oh," complained both Tony and Ziva. "Why can we see it now?"

"Because I've just explained," said Gibbs, "It's a surprise. We were going to have it tomorrow at the barbecue but seeing as we are all together now, we thoughts we'd do it tonight. But NO peeking!" he added now smacking Ziva's hand which had crept forward.

She giggled.

"Now," said Gibbs. "I'm going to put this in the fridge, and trust that neither of you will peek inside. Do I have your promises?"

Tony and Ziva looked at each other.

"Jenny," called Gibbs, "I think you'd better take this back. Tony and Ziva don't seem to want it."

"Ok! Ok!" they called jumping up and down. "We promise! We promise!"

"Cross our hearts and hope to die!" added Tony.

"Really?" said Ziva looking at him. "Now we can't even pretend!"

"Exactly!" said Gibbs. "Come on, I thought you were starving Tony? Everyone's here, we can have dinner."

"Woohoo!" said Tony. "Finally."

Within fifteen minutes, six large pizzas had been reduced to half a pizza and seven very well fed people sat slumped and comatosed on the chairs.

"I'm so full," groaned Tony, rubbing his belly.

"I'm not surprised," said Ziva looking at him. "You nearly ate a whole pizza on your own. I'm full after three pieces!"

"Yeah, well I'm twice your age so I need twice as much pizza," argued Tony logically.

"But Daddy must be at least four times your age and he didn't eat 24 pieces," replied Ziva. "And what about Ducky? He must be at least…"

"Yes, well my dear," interrupted Ducky before Ziva gave some extraordinary number concerning his age. "I think we might just leave it there, don't you."

"But Ducky, I'm just saying that Tony can't say he'll eat twice as much as me because he's twice my age. It doesn't make sense," argued Ziva.

"Quite right dear girl. Now, what's say you and I clear up all these boxes, plates and napkins," said Ducky distracting Ziva from yet another logical debate.

"Ok," agreed Ziva, happy to help her friend and not worry too much about Tony's eating habits.

As Ziva picked up the napkins, Gibbs gathered the plates while Ducky collected the empty boxes. Going into the kitchen Gibbs turned on the coffee machine and Ducky took down his tea pot.

"Who's for coffee?" called Gibbs and smiled when every adult hand, except Ducky's went up.

"Tony, do you want another soda?" he asked the boy.

"I'll get it Dad," said Tony getting up and heading to the fridge.

"I've already got it," said Gibbs laughing at Tony's face.

"I wouldn't have peeked," assured Tony.

"Well this just takes temptation away," added Gibbs as he handed both Ziva and Tony another soda.

When everyone was seated in the lounge, Abby said, "Hey, let's have a game of charades and make it girls against boys."

"But there's more boys," said Ziva.

"Well with Tim's broken arm, he may find it hard to act out something so it's kind of even," suggested Abby.

"Ok," agreed Ziva."They'll need all the help they can get any way!" she added giggling.

Jenny handed out nine bits of paper to each team so that each person would have three turns each. The girls went into the kitchen to think up nine titles that the boys might have difficulty acting out, while the boys did the same for the girls. Putting the bits of folded paper in separate containers, Jenny then handed their container to Tony who would go first for the boys.

Picking one out and looking at the title Tony groaned. "How on earth am I supposed to do this one," he complained.

The girls just grinned having no idea which of the nine choices Tony had picked.

Tony started by making the movie gesture.

"Movie," said Tim.

Tony nodded.

It wasn't long before the boys had surmised that it was a movie, one word and four syllables. As Tony tried to act out the first syllable, their guessing went awry. Tony was pulling faces, walking funny, drawing circles around his temple, while the boys shouted out words like, 'scared', 'face', 'stomp', 'circle'. In the end Tony gave up on that approach and tried a different tact. Indicating that it was the whole word now, he started to bend and walked on all fours. 'Dog', 'cat,' 'horse'. On the word horse, Tony jumped up and down and then drew lines on his side.

"Zebra!" yelled Ducky.

Tony clapped his hands and nodded.

Then he pretended to extend his neck.

"Giraffe!" yelled Tim.

More nodding and clapping.

"Jungle Book!" yelled Gibbs. Tony rolled his eyes and reminded him that it was one word.

Gibbs shrugged and said, "Hey I thought that was a good guess."

Jenny smiled at him. "Had me convinced," she said.

Abby didn't miss the look Gibbs and Jenny shared and she grinned secretly to herself.

Suddenly Tim yelled. "Madagascar!"

"Yes!" said Tony. "Well done. Didn't think you were going to get that one!"

"Poop!" said Ziva crossing her arms. "I thought that one would be too hard!"

Next up was Abby's turn. She rummaged through the folded bits of paper and drew one out. Smiling she grinned at Gibbs. She knew he would have picked this one.

The girls quickly got that it was a movie with five words. Abby indicated 5th word. She pointed to her hair.

"Pigtails," yelled Ziva.

Abby nodded then drew the outline of a bow and tugged on it.

"Ribbon," said Jenny.

Abby nodded. She then indicated the 4th word and pointed to the yellow t-shirt Ziva was wearing.

"T-shirt!" yelled Ziva.

"No, I know it," said Jenny grinning. "She wore a yellow ribbon."

"That's the one!" said Abby.

Next up was Gibbs. Once it was established that it was a movie with three words. All Gibbs had to do was indicate first word and lay his head on his hands. When Ducky yelled out 'sleep', Tim suddenly called "Sleepless in Seattle!"

Gibbs bowed and sat down again, thankful that he'd picked an easy one and not some obscure heavy metal song of Abby's.

Jenny took out the next piece of paper and, on reading it, burst out laughing.

She looked at Gibbs. "Another of yours?" she said laughing.

Abby and Ziva worked out that it was a movie with two words and the first word was 'the'. Then Jenny put her hand over her eyes like a visor and pretended to be looking for something.

"Looking," said Ziva.

"The finders" said Abby.

"The explorers," said Ziva.

Jenny kept shaking her head. She knew it would be hard as neither Abby nor Ziva would have seen this one. The only reason she knew it was because of Gibbs.

Finally Abby said, "The Searchers?" having no idea if that was correct and Jenny yelled "Yes!"

"That'll be the day," said Gibbs in his best John Wayne imitation as Jenny took her seat.

"Hey do you remember when you said that to me," asked Jenny grinning at him.

He nodded.

"When?" asked Abby enthusiastically.

"Ahh, never mind," said Jenny blushing. "So Ducky, I think it's your turn," she added changing the subject.

They continued playing until all 18 titles had been guessed. No one actually won the game as both sides managed to guess correctly all the titles. Although towards the end, the 'no talking' rules was definitely stretched to its limits.

They were sat talking happily to each other when suddenly the lights went out and Jenny walked in the room carrying a huge cake blazing with candles.

"Wow!" said Tony. "Whose birthday is it?"

"Nobody's," said Gibbs smiling. "This cake is especially for you and Ziva."

"Huh?" said Tony looking confused.

"For us!" exclaimed Ziva. "Why?"

"Well," said Jenny as she put the cake down on the coffee table, "Come and read what it says."

The children rushed over and read together, "Tony and Ziva. Thanks for the best month ever!" They looked up at Gibbs confused.

"I don't get it," said Tony.

"Well you've been with us now for a month. It was almost exactly 4 weeks ago today that you…" he paused not really sure of what to say.

"Do you remember how you came to live with me?" he asked going for a different tact.

Both children shook their heads.

"I was wondering about that the other day," said Tony. "I remember doing things with Senior and then it goes blurry and next thing I knew I was here.

"Same here," said Ziva. "How did we come to live with you?"

"Well, four weeks ago, you were…in a….kind of accident I guess you could call it," started Gibbs picking his words carefully. "Tim, Ducky and I were there and we helped you to get to the hospital. Then Jenny came and….we brought you back to my place. Abby came around that night and that was the first night we all spent together. Very much like this night. Then it was decided that you both would live here with me," finished Gibbs.

"Do you remember any of that?" asked Jenny.

"No," said Tony. "I remember us all playing backyard cricket and Ziva climbing the tree."

"I remember that," said Ziva. "I was a bit naughty then," she added looking ashamed of herself.

"You were just figuring things out," said Gibbs smiling at her.

"Actually I remember before that," said Ziva. "I remember doing a puzzle on the table and buying the mattresses," she giggled.

"Yes, we all remember that!" said Gibbs.

"I don't," said Tony. "I remember laughing about it later though but I don't remember getting them."

"You asked the lady in the store if she had fart proof mattresses Tony," said Ziva giggling. "It was so funny."

Tony laughed. "I'm such a genius," he added.

As Gibbs listened to them both, he realised that their clear memories only came from when they had embraced or almost embraced their younger selves. It made sense that Ziva remembered more than Tony as she had regressed emotionally quickly than Tony.

"Well," Gibbs said. "This cake is to celebrate the fact that you both have lived with me for a month. In that month you have brought me so much love, joy and laughter. It's been one of the happiest months of my life and I'm so glad that you two are here with me. When I lost Shannon and Kelly, I thought my life was over and I never truly believed that I would be happy again but you two have proved me wrong," he said looking down at Tony and Ziva. "You two are the best things to happen to me in a long time. You have brought back the sunshine and fun to this house and I wanted to celebrate that with all my family." He smiled around at everyone.

"Thank you, all of you," he added sincerely.

Abby stepped forward. "I hope you don't mind but I got this for you." She held out a rectangle parcel wrapped in blue paper. When Gibbs opened it, he saw that it was a folded photo frame. As he opened it he took in a deep breath. One side was a picture of Shannon and Kelly. It was the one they had used for the news cutting of their accident. It was a beautiful photo of both of them. The other side was a photo Abby had taken during the barbecue Tony had mentioned earlier. It showed Gibbs sitting on a chair with Ziva in her overalls perched on his lap, and Tony in his red shirt leaning up against Gibbs, with Gibbs' arm around his shoulder. They were all smiling. Engraved in the frame were the words, "Family is Forever"

Choking back the tears, Gibbs cleared his throat and, giving Abby a big hug he whispered, "Thanks Abs."

As he pulled away, he said, "We'll have to get a group shot of everyone to put in a frame as well. To show off all my beautiful family."

"Ok Tony and Ziva. Time to blow out the candles," said Jenny seeing that Gibbs needed some time to pull himself together again.

"How come there are twenty candles?" asked Ziva having counted them quickly.

"Well," said Jenny, "these fifteen in the middle represent you and Tony, ten for Tony's age and five for you and the other five represent, Gibbs, Abby, Tim, Ducky and Me. As Daddy just said, together we are a family."

Ziva smiled. "The best family ever!" she said.

"You got it," said Gibbs.

As they took in a deep breath preparing to blow out all the candles Tony said, "Hang on. If this is for all of us, we should all blow out the candles. Come on, everybody gather round and blow."

Huddled around the coffee table the seven of them each took a deep breath and blew out gently extinguishing every candle except two that remained stubbornly still lit.

"That's Shannon and Kelly," said Ziva seeing the two lit candles. "That's their way of saying they are still here too."

Unable to speak, Gibbs smiled at her and then gently blew out the last two candles. Looking upwards he silently thanked his first two girls.

The cake was cut and each person took a piece, enjoying the lovely chocolaty flavour mixed with the cream filling. They then settled on the chairs and sofa ready to watch a movie.

As Jenny looked over at Gibbs sitting on the sofa with Ziva on his lap and Tony snuggled into his side, she remembered another similar night when she had watched the three of them sleeping on the couch. She had thought to herself then that Jethro was home. Looking now she could see how much each one of them had helped the other heal and grow.

Ziva was slowly learning that not all adults were out to trick her or make her prove her worth. She was learning to relax and enjoy being a child, to play for the first time and accept that her new Daddy would always look after her and protect her.

Tony was discovering that not all adults reject you or send you away when things get too difficult. He was also learning to trust, to understand that when difficult things happen it's not his fault and, most importantly, he was learning that his Dad's love is forever.

And Gibbs? Well as much as he would never admit it, Gibbs had turned into the soft, loving father she had always suspected he would have been with Kelly. Gone were the all-night B's, basement, bourbon and boat. They had been replaced with a new set of B's, blessings, belonging and beloved.

But probably the biggest thing all three of them had learned over the past four weeks was that love was unconditional. For Tony and Ziva that meant a father that would love them no matter what either of them did or said, a father who would never withhold his love, or make them prove they deserved it, a father who would lay down his life for his children so that they would be happy and safe.

Yes, thought Jenny as she looked over at the three of them snuggled on the sofa. Jethro was home but more importantly, all of them were home, healing and whole.

And maybe one day, the three of them would no longer need to look back with fear and regret, but instead, focus on the future and the happiness that lay ahead.


	28. Footnote

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know I have posted the first chapter to my new story, Rekindling the Flame. This continues on from Reversed Psychologies and is a Jibbs story. I wanted to get Gibbs and Jenny together and felt that they needed their own story to do so. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews for Reversed Psychologies. Your support and encouragement has meant so much to me, particularly seeing as this was my first published piece of work. You have definitely inspired me to continue writing.

Cheers,

Mindless Creations


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